French President Macron Says that Australian PM Morrison Lied to Him About AUKUS

Macron told Australian reporters that he had a lot of respect for Australia but among allies it needed to be mutual.

French President Emmanuel Macron. 

(Xinhua/Li Muzi/IANS)

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, said on Sunday, 31 October, to a batch of Australian reporters that their prime minister, Scott Morrison, had lied to him about the controversial AUKUS deal that sparked a row between France, Australia and the US, Reuters reported.

Macron alleges that Morrison had been dishonesty with him about the termination of a submarine building agreement in September 202.

The two leaders were part of the G20 summit in Rome, Italy over the weekend.

Macron told Australian reporters that he had a lot of "respect and friendship" for Australia and Australians, but underscored that the respect had to be mutual, The Guardian reported.

He also hinted that there was still a lack of trust between the two allies.

In September earlier this year, Australia had dropped a billion dollar deal with France and instead had chosen to form a new security alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States, known as AUKUS - Australia, UK and US - to collectively tackle security concerns in the Indo-Pacific.

The AUKUS deal provided nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, who were otherwise being sold conventional submarines by the French.

Paris reacted furiously and recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra, with claims that there was no consultation with France about the new deal.

Macron didn't hold back when asked on Sunday whether he thought Prime Minister Morrison lied to him about the deal.

"I don't think, I know", he told reporters.

Tensions between the US and France have cooled down after Biden and Macron had a phone call to discuss the AUKUS deal.

(With inputs from Reuters and The Guardian)