Chattanooga Times Free Press

Australia, France make ‘new start’ after sub row

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PARIS — Australia and France opened a “new chapter” in their relations Friday as the new Australian prime minister seeks to heal wounds from a secret submarine contract that infuriated France.

President Emmanuel Macron warmly shook hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outside the French presidenti­al palace, showing a thumbs-up before putting his arm around the Australian leader’s back as they headed inside for talks.

“Trust, respect and honesty matters,” Albanese told reporters. “This is how I will approach my relations” with France.

Paris responded with fury when the previous Australian government announced in September that it was canceling a 90 billion Australian dollar ($62 billion) contract for Frenchmade diesel-electric submarines. Instead, Australia had struck a deal with the United States and Britain to provide submarines powered with U.S. nuclear technology, which French leaders said was sealed behind their backs.

France temporaril­y withdrew its ambassador­s from the U.S. and Australia, and Macron accused former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of lying to him, which Morrison denied.

After coming to power in May elections, Albanese’s Labor Party government announced it had agreed to pay France’s Naval Group a 555-million-euro ($583 million) settlement for breaking the contract.

“We are opening up a new chapter in our relationsh­ip,” Albanese said Friday.

Macron, too, appeared ready to move on, saying in English, “We’ll speak about the future.” Pointing at Albanese, he added, “He’s not responsibl­e for that.”

Albanese called France a “an Indo-Pacific and global power” through its overseas territorie­s in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.”

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