French President Emmanuel Macron doesn't want an apology from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the handling of the submarine debacle, because he "is not responsible for what happened".
Mr Macron embraced the new prime minister after he arrived at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Friday, for their first official meeting after Australia scrapped a $90 billion submarine contract last year.
Mr Macron was asked if Mr Albanese should apologise over the handling of the deal, but the French president indicated the relationship had mended.
"We will speak about the future, not the past," Mr Macron said.
"He (Mr Albanese) is not responsible for what happened."
The previous coalition government's decision to dump the contract with Naval Group in favour of acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership with the UK and US damaged the relationship.
France temporarily recalled its ambassador from Canberra, and Mr Macron told Australian reporters that former prime minister Scott Morrison had lied to him.
Mr Albanese visited France following Mr Macron's invitation in a bid to "reset" the relationship between the two countries.
Australia will pay the French company about $830 million in compensation for the cancelled contract.
Mr Macron warmly welcomed Mr Albanese upon his arrival to the palace, and placed his arm around his back.
He also kissed Mr Albanese's partner Jodie Haydon on the hand before introducing them to his wife Brigitte.
'New chapter'
Ahead of the meeting Mr Albanese lauded France as a "crucial partner" of Australia as he pledged a "new chapter" in relations between the two nations.
Mr Albanese said he recognised that France is not just a "great European power" but also an "Indo-Pacific and global power".
"I know that France's active engagement in the Indo-Pacific will be critical in overcoming the challenges that confront our region," he said.
He said Australia and France "share a strong commitment to more ambitious action on climate change and the transition to clean energy".
The leaders discussed climate change action, the war in Ukraine, Pacific policies and expanding cultural exchange between the two countries through the arts and education.
Mr Macron said France and Australia would be taken to "new horizons" through repaired relations.
Previously, Mr Albanese said the meeting with Mr Macron on 1 July, the start of a new financial year was an "appropriate time" to enter a "new dawn" between Australia and France.
The prime minister said the nation's lack of climate change action and "breakdown" of the relationship with France had stalled negotiations for a trade deal with the European Union.
What happened between Scott Morrison and Emmanuel Macron?
Diplomatic relations between Canberra and Paris were put to the test last year when Mr Morrison announced Australia would enter a security pact with the United States and United Kingdom — AUKUS — and purchase nuclear submarines.
Australia was already under contract with French firm Naval Group, who were supplying $90 billion worth of conventional submarines.
Mr Macron accused Mr Morrison of lying about the deal.
When asked by journalists if he thought Mr Morrison had lied about dialogue with the US and UK over the deal, Mr Macron responded "I don't think, I know".
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the move a "stab in the back" and temporarily withdrew France's ambassadors to Australia and the US.
Mr Morrison denied lying about the deal and said the contracted submarines were not sufficient.
"I was very clear that the conventional submarines were not going to be able to meet our strategic interests, and that we would need to make a decision in our national interest," Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison did not successfully repair relations with Paris before ending his term as prime minister. Following the result of the 2022 Australian federal election, Mr Le Drian said: “I can’t stop myself from saying that the defeat of Morrison suits me very well”.
He added that Mr Morrison’s actions over the submarine deal showed “brutality and cynicism, and I would even be tempted to say of unequivocal incompetence”.
Shortly after becoming prime minister, Mr Albanese announced that Australia will pay Naval Group about $830 million to settle the scrapped defence contract.
Mr Albanese said he had a "warm" and "constructive" conversation with Mr Macron after he was elected, and has since been adamant to repair relations between the two countries.
With AAP.
