Emmanuel Macron’s messages to Australian PM Morrison leaked amid submarine deal row

Leaked messages between French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have been printed by Australian media on Tuesday amid the continued submarine deal row between the 2 international locations. French President Emmanuel Macron (L) with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo: Reuters/File)Australian media on Tuesday printed messages between French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as Canberra seeks to push again in opposition to allegations it lied to Paris a couple of multibillion-dollar submarine contract.

Australia in September cancelled a take care of France’s Naval Group, opting as a substitute to construct no less than 12 nuclear-powered submarines after putting a take care of the United States and Britain.The cancellation prompted a serious bilateral rift, and Macron on Sunday mentioned Morrison had lied to him about Australia’s intentions, a unprecedented allegation amongst allies. Morrison has denied the declare.Read: France cancels defence assembly with UK over submarine row: ReportAccording to a supply acquainted with the messages, when Morrison tried to arrange a name with Macron concerning the submarine contract on Sept. 14, two days earlier than the take care of the U.S. and Britain was introduced, Macron responded with a message saying “Should I expect good or bad news for our joint submarines ambitions?” The message with Morrison’s response was not leaked.The supply declined to be recognized due to the sensitivity of the matter.France has mentioned Australia didn’t try to tell it of the cancellation till the day Canberra introduced its take care of the United States and Britain.”There is no doubt Morrison needed to put his front foot forward and convince Australians and allies that he wasn’t being duplicitous and lying, but there was grave concern that the project would not be completed,” mentioned Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia.This month, the European Union postponed the subsequent spherical of talks on a possible free commerce deal for a second time, amid simmering anger over Canberra’s choice to cancel the contract with France.Also Read | French President Macron says Australian PM lied about cancelled submarine dealClick right here for IndiaToday.in’s full protection of the coronavirus pandemic.