France says ambassador to Australia will return to ‘define relationship & defend interest'

France on Wednesday said that it would return its ambassador to Australia ending the diplomatic spat over the AUKUS security pact, that prompted Canberra to scrap a submarine deal with Paris which thwarted ties between the two nations. France in retaliation to the AUKUS pact had recalled its envoy to Australia on 17 September. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has now told the French Parliament that he had "asked our ambassador to return to Canberra with two objectives: helping to define our relationship with Australia in the future and firmly defend our interests in the implementation of Australia's decision to terminate the submarine programme," French media reports confirmed on Wednesday. 

The latter had accused Australia of back-stabbing by torpedoing the multi-billion dollars submarine contract with Paris and had also lambasted the United States for “betrayal”, recalling envoys from both the countries. But after a telephonic call with US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron had dispatched the envoy to the US back to Washington to resume duties. Macron, however, told a presser that he was in “no rush” to send back the French ambassador to Australia.

Canberra, meanwhile, had argued that the pact was intended to counter Chinese military belligerence and PRC’s rising regional influence, which pushed Canberra to buy US-designed submarines. Irate French President Macron also obliterated the EU trade deal with Australia, registering contention about the three-way AUKUS pact between the US, Australia, and the UK. 

France had accused Canberra of 'lying, breach of trust'

Australia unilaterally abandoned the multi-billion dollars diesel-electric submarines contract with France that was struck in 2016, and in a fit of resentment now, the French leader indicated that Canberra can ascertain that pursuing any future negotiations with Paris is now "unthinkable" as he has recalled his ambassadors from Washington, US and Canberra. France had also cancelled a high-profile Franco-British defense ministers’ summit scheduled with British defense minister Ben Wallace as the tensions simmered between Paris, and Australia, UK, and United States over ditching the £48bn nuclear submarine contract with France.

The French Foreign Minister on national TV lambasted the trio countries of “lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt” and humiliating France’s shared vision.  While speaking to radio station Franceinfo, Le Drian said that AUKUS was a “stab in the back”, as he added that France had established a relationship of trust with Australia and it has now been “betrayed”. The French Foreign Minister also noted that Australia was rejecting a deal for a strategic partnership that involved massive technological transfer and a contract for a 50-year-period.