Paris: The idea of adding gunpowder to Australian-Franco relations 18 months ago might have scorched the earth across Paris, taking out the horse-chestnut trees which line the River Seine and the Champs-Élysées.

But just as quickly as the friendship hit rock bottom in October 2021, when President Emmanuel Macron went as far as to brand former prime minister Scott Morrison a liar, those at the top of both governments are keen to stress they’ve moved on from the row that saw Australia abandon diesel-powered French submarines in favour of nuclear-powered ones from the United States and Britain.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, second right, and French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, second left, welcome Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.Credit:AP

And so in the richly ornamented Salon de l’Horloge, a grand room within the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs which played host to the meeting that began the peace process of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the signing of the Briand-Kellogg Pact and the peace treaty with Italy, another thawing of diplomatic relations took place.

It wasn’t forced. It appeared genuine and, if anything, it was a reminder that the world can no longer afford the egos and childish behaviour of the recent past.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna declared in her opening remarks that it was a “subject I will not be returning to”, but the row was frequently alluded to by both sides.

Richard Marles, the deputy prime minister, pointed out that France is one of Australia’s closest neighbours in the Pacific, with less than 700 km separating the two countries between French overseas collectively, New Caledonia and Australia’s Norfolk Island.

The joint meeting of the ministers at Quai d’Orsay in Paris, France. Credit:Nathan Laine

“France is a liberal democracy in the Indo-Pacific which shares a vision of a globe which is governed by a global rules-based order,” he said. “And in that sense, as our closest neighbour, France is really in the very top tier of relationships that Australia has with any country in the world.”

He pointed out that could not come at a more important time, given the “fragility of the global rules based” in the Indo-Pacific – code for a more assertive Beijing – as well as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, just a few hours on a plane from Paris.

A changing dynamic within the European Union has placed France as the spiritual leader of the bloc’s efforts to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself against the Kremlin’s troops. It has made resetting the partnership all the more important.

As so a new joint defence project highlights just how far the two nations have come in a relatively short time, as they agreed to “share the bill” to supply Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s armed forces with ammunition. The deal will see both countries share the cost of the deliveries of the ammunition from French manufacturer Nexter, with Australia providing the explosive powder.

Pallets of 155 mm shells ultimately bound for Ukraine.Credit:AP

There was little detail about bilateral deliveries of the ammunition, but Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu said he would be “faithful to the French doctrine of discretion” over the quantity and quality of its military support. He signalled the delivery of “several thousand” shells would begin this quarter, suggesting it would be an ongoing, or “continuous” commitment.

Zelensky has made constant pleas for military aid since Russia invaded his country last February 24, including basic supplies of fuel and bullets, famously telling the world amid rumours he had fled Kyiv: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

And while AUKUS cast a shadow, there was no sign of any change in Australia’s intention to buy US or UK-designed nuclear submarines, despite renewed concerns about long delays. In November, Macron said his country’s submarine offer “remains on the table”, potentially offering Australia new capabilities while it waits for its nuclear fleet.

But Marles said there were no plans for any conventionally powered interim submarine capability as Australia moved towards gaining the nuclear-powered submarine capability.

Both nations want to work more closely on defence manufacturing, with Lecornu downplaying the cancelled $80 billion deal’s impact on future relations.

“Does AUKUS block the capacity for our military cooperation in the future? The answer is no, otherwise … we would not be here holding this 2+2 meeting,” he said.

Asked if the two countries trying to spin their way out of the previous cracks in their relationship, Colonna replied: “It’s not communication. It’s politics”.

And for the first time in a while – without scoring cheap points – both nations got that bit just right.

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