French President Macron says Australian PM lied about cancelled submarine deal

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday mentioned Australia’s prime minister outright lied to him over a cancelled submarine deal, deepening an already fraught diplomatic disaster.

“I don’t think so. I know,” Macron mentioned when requested by the Australian media if Scott Morrison was untruthful of their personal dealings.Both leaders are attending the G20 in Rome and a serious UN-backed local weather summit in Glasgow, however the weeks-long spat continues to path them.READ: France cancels defence assembly with UK over submarine row: ReportIn September, Australia’s chief, with out warning, tore up a decade-old multi-billion-dollar contract with France to construct a brand new fleet of submarines.At the identical time, Morrison revealed he had been in secret talks to amass US or British nuclear subs.Furious, Paris denounced the choice as a “stab in the back” and recalled its ambassador, who is just now getting again to work Down Under.Australian media requested Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit whether or not he thought the Australian chief had been untruthful to him in personal conferences.The French president left little doubt about his view, stressing the necessity for mutual “respect”.”You have to behave in line and consistently with this value,” he mentioned.Macron crossed paths with Morrison on the G20, and spoke on the cellphone earlier this week, telling him {that a} “relationship of trust” had been damaged between France and Australia.The pair are but to take a seat down for formal talks, though the French ambassador is ready to fulfill Australia’s overseas minister in Sydney on Monday.In Rome, the French chief appeared to have made extra progress in clearing the air with US President Joe Biden.On Friday, Biden admitted to his French counterpart that Washington had been “clumsy” in the best way it dealt with the deal, and mentioned, “We have no better ally than France.”Morrison on Sunday defended his behaviour, refuting Macron’s view and denying that he lied to the French chief at a non-public assembly in June.”I don’t agree with that,” he mentioned. “It’s not true.””We had dinner together. As I’ve said on numerous occasions, I explained very clearly that the conventional submarine option was not going to meet Australia’s interests,” Morrison mentioned.”I’m quite conscious of the disappointment that’s there. And I’m not surprised — it was a significant contract. And so I’m not surprised about the level of disappointment.”READ: Joe Biden vs Emmanuel Macron: First assembly since submarine disputeALSO READ: France accuses Australia, US of ‘mendacity’ in escalating disaster over submarine deal