Australia, France deepen defense ties after breakdown

By FRANCOIS MORI
Associated Press

BREST, France (AP) — Australia and France are drawing up plans to strengthen their defense cooperation as the two countries try to heal wounds from last year’s diplomatic breakdown over a secret submarine contract that infuriated France. With war raging in Ukraine and an increasingly ambitious China, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said during a meeting with his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu on Thursday that it’s important that “our relationship moves forward with frankness, with respect and with honesty.” Australia cancelled a 90 billion Australian dollar ($62 billion) contract for French-made diesel-electric submarines and took its business to the U.S. and the U.K.