Australia and France have committed to a “new cooperation agenda” focused on three key pillars including resilience and climate action, after meeting Anthony Albanese and Emmanuel Macron.
Australia and France will seek to strengthen their relationship around three key areas under a “new cooperation agenda” unveiled when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
A joint statement said the meeting between Mr Albanese and Mr Macron reaffirmed “their commitment to building a closer and stronger relationship”, after ties between the two countries deteriorated following the decision of the President. to end a $90 billion submarine contract with France.
“To advance bilateral relations, we agree to establish a new cooperation agenda based on three pillars: defense and security; resilience and climate action; and education and culture,” the joint statement said. Australia-France.
“The Prime Minister and the President instruct their officials to develop a detailed roadmap based on these three pillars, to be delivered before the end of 2022.”
The defense and security pillar has four key points, including an agreement to “continue to stand together in defense of the rules-based order and the integrity of international law”.
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The two nations will also seek to “shape a new defense relationship and strengthen our collaboration and exchanges on shared security interests.”
This should happen through operational engagement and intelligence sharing.
“We will support each other in our deployments and conduct more joint maritime activities in support of the rules-based global order,” the statement continued.
“We will also explore initiatives to deepen and facilitate better reciprocal access to our defense facilities.”
Under the Resilience and Climate Action Pillar, Australia and France committed to “explore opportunities to work together more closely to further support just and clean energy transition and adaptation in both countries.”
There are seven other points under the pillar of resilience and climate action, including expanding and strengthening “the long-standing logistical and scientific collaboration in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean”.
The education and culture pillar has four points, including additional support for “cultural and creative initiatives, exhibitions and artist-in-residence exchanges”.
Meanwhile, Mr Macron said the rift between France and Australia was now a thing of the past and Mr Albanese was “not responsible” for the actions of his predecessor Scott Morrison.
Mr. Macron and his wife Brigitte welcomed Mr. Albanese and his companion Jodie Haydon to the official residence of the president, the Elysée, on Friday.
“My presence here represents a new start for relations between our countries,” Mr Albanese said after arriving at the palace.
“Australia’s relationship with France matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. That’s how I will approach my relationship.”
Mr Macron said Mr Albanese’s electoral victory and the first conversations between the two men “mark a desire to rebuild a relationship of trust between our two countries, a relationship based on mutual respect”.
He was then asked if Mr Albanese should apologize to France for destroying the $90 billion submarine under the previous coalition government.
“We will talk about the future, not the past. He is not responsible for what happened,” replied Mr. Macron.
