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Agence France-Presse

A long-planned round of Australia-EU free-trade talks have been postponed, a European official confirmed on Friday, after fury over Canberra’s decision to cancel a major French submarine contract.
“The FTA trade round has been postponed for a month until November,” an EU official in Canberra said, throwing the future of the far-reaching pact into doubt.
Australia last month abruptly cancelled a multibillion-dollar contract for 12 French submarines, opting to buy nuclear-powered US-designed vessels instead after striking a security pact with Washington and London dubbed Aukus.
The decision prompted a major diplomatic spat with one of the European Union’s largest members and now appears to have hit ties with the entire bloc.
A battleground between China and the West raises concerns over Aukus deal
France has publicly said it can no longer trust Australia’s government, accusing officials of lying and questioning whether the trade agreement can go ahead.
Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan, who was expected to travel to Europe for the talks, played down the decision.
“We understand the French reaction to our submarine decision but ultimately any nation must act in its national interest – which is what Australia has done,” he said.
Tehan indicated he plans to meet EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis next week to discuss what would be the 12th round of negotiations.
“We will continue preparing for the 12th round of negotiations and working towards concluding a free-trade agreement that is in the interests of both Australia and the EU.”


The EU is Australia’s third-biggest trading partner.
In 2020, the trade in goods between the two economies was valued at 36 billion euros (US$42.4 billion) and at 26 billion euros in services.
The next round of talks was due to cover areas including trade, services, investment and intellectual property rights.
Negotiations began in 2018 and officials had hoped to reach a final agreement by the end of the year.
With both Australia and France heading to elections in early 2022, that timeline now appears optimistic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison deliberately deceived France
Ex-PM Malcolm Turnbull
The submarine dispute has made front-page news in both countries.
In response to the decision the French government recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington, a rare move to protest allies’ behaviour.
France’s envoy returned to the US on Wednesday but as yet there is no such indication that ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault will return.

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull this week said his successor and former party colleague “deliberately deceived” France in scrapping the deal.
“[Prime Minister Scott] Morrison has not acted in good faith. He deliberately deceived France. He makes no defence of his conduct other than to say it was in Australia’s national interest,” Turnbull told the National Press Club in Canberra.
“France believes it has been deceived and humiliated, and she was. This betrayal of trust will dog our relations with Europe for years,” he added.
“The Australian government has treated the French Republic with contempt.”
Canberra insists it scrapped the contract as it decided it needs nuclear submarines, which can remain underwater and undetected for far greater stretches, at a time of rising tensions with China.


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Australia

Aukus fallout: EU-Australia trade talks postponed as submarine row rumbles on

The US Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri. Photo: US Navy via AP

France's Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault arrives at Sydney Airport, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. Thebault has described as a "huge mistake" Australia's surprise cancellation of a major submarine contract in favor of a U.S. deal, in an unprecedented show of anger among the allies. (AP Photo/David Gray)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo: AP

Aukus fallout: for years, US told India it couldn’t share nuclear submarine technology. ‘And now this ...’

The Indian Navy's indigenously built, diesel-electric, Scorpene attack submarine at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai. Photo: Xinhua

(FILES) This file picture taken on September 21, 2004, in Brest harbor, western France, shows the Vepr Russian nuclear submarine of the Project 971 Shchuka-B type, or Akula-class (Shark) by NATO classification, the same type as the Nerpa Russian nuclear submarine. India is to return to the elite group of countries with a nuclear-powered submarine on April 4, 2012 when it inducts a new vessel leased from Russia. India signed up for the Russian submarine, formally known as Nerpa, in 2004 and it was originally due to be handed over in 2009. AFP PHOTO/FRED TANNEAU/FILES

epaselect epa05351830 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (bottom) in front of US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and House Speaker Republican Paul Ryan (R), addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, USA, 08 June 2016. The event is the last of his three-day visit to Washington, which included a meeting with President Obama at the White House. Later in the day Modi will fly to Mexico for dinner with Mexican President Pena Nieto. EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Aukus won’t spark Asian arms race: US Ambassador to Indonesia

The Aukus pact will see the US, Britain and Australia share nuclear submarine technology. Photo: Handout

This handout photo taken on August 4, 2021 and released by the Indonesia Army shows Major General Heri Wiranto (L) meeting with US Captain David Moats during a rollcall with Indonesian and US Army soldiers at the Mulawarman headquarters in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, to kick off the largest-ever joint-training between the armies of the two nations with more than 4,500 soldiers taking part in the Garuda Shield exercise. (Photo by HANDOUT / Indonesia Army / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT /AFP PHOTO/Indonesia Army/NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Sung Kim, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea, speaks during trilateral meeting between Japan, U.S., and South Korea, to discuss North Korea, in Tokyo, Japan, September 14, 2021. David Mareuil/Pool via REUTERS

This picture taken on September 28, 2021 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 29 shows the Academy of Defence Science of the DPRK test-firing a hypersonic missile Hwasong-8 newly developed by it in Toyang-ri, Ryongrim County of Jagang Province, North Korea. - North Korea has successfully tested a new hypersonic gliding missile, state media reported Wednesday, in what would be the nuclear-armed nation's latest advance in weapons technology. Tuesday's launch was of "great strategic significance", the official Korean Central News Agency said, as the North seeks to increase its defence capabilities a "thousand-fold". (Photo by STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) / - South Korea OUT / ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY,

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Paris has accused Canberra of lying after it cancelled a French submarine contract and questioned whether the trade agreement can go ahead
Trade Minister Dan Tehan played down the dispute, saying Australia will work towards concluding the deal



Paris has accused Canberra of lying after it cancelled a French submarine contract and questioned whether the trade agreement can go ahead.
