The French ambassador to Australia is set to return to Canberra following a diplomatic spat.
French ambassador to Australia is set to return to Canberra following a diplomatic spat over the AUKUS alliance and subsequently scrapped submarine deal between the two nations.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison spectacularly dumped his nation’s plans to continue to build 12 French-designed conventional subs, in favour of teaming up with the US and UK and acquire high-tech nuclear vessels instead.
Jean-Pierre Thebault has been the French Ambassador since 2020 and was recalled last month after France expressed outrage over the alliance.
But the Foreign Minister has just told parliament that he has “now 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 program”.
