The French and Australian governments on Monday struck an agreement to supply Ukraine with 155-caliber howitzers as part of the war against Russia, after turbulent defense relations between the two countries in recent years.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu met Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in Paris to discuss a “roadmap” to strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ defense industries and in combat against climate change.
The howitzers will be produced jointly thanks to an agreement between France and Australia, the French Defense Minister explained at a joint press conference with his Australian counterparts.
The move comes as France-Australia’s bilateral ties were restored after Canberra decided to suspend a multi-billion dollar deal to buy French submarines.
Relations between the two countries were strained after Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States signed an agreement in September 2021 that, among other things, allowed the oceanic country access to technology for the development of French submarines and thus the related agreement between Canberra and Paris.
At the time, France called the decision of then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison “regrettable” and said it was like a “stab in the back” because it would break the “Agreement of the Century” that France and Australia had struck.
Since May, French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have been trying to restore ties between their countries, although France is still considering former Prime Minister Morrison’s “breach of trust”.
News source: (EUROPA PRESS)
