Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian slams Australia while meeting Jakarta President

France has taken a scathing swipe at Scott Morrison, accusing him of backstabbing the country over a multibillion-dollar submarine deal.

A “cheated” France has taken aim at Australia while bolstering defence ties with Indonesia as Paris regroups in the Indo-Pacific after the collapse of a multibillion-dollar submarine deal with the Morrison government.

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is in Jakarta for meetings with President Joko Widodo and senior officials, said during the two-day visit this week that a “trust crisis” had emerged between France and Australia.

France has accused Australia of backstabbing after it embarked on a trilateral security alliance (AUKUS) with Britain and the US, announcing without warning that it would opt for nuclear-powered submarines built with US and British technology rather than the Attack-class vessels it had earlier agreed to buy from France.

In Jakarta on Wednesday night, Le Drian said France was “cheated” by Australia.

“We thought we had a good industrial partnership,” he said of Australia’s former submarine deal with France during an appearance at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

“It came to an end in a second, out of the blue. This is not correct, but so be it.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) welcoming France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during their meeting at the presidential palace in Jakarta. Picture: AFP

“Within NATO, the United States and the United Kingdom are our allies. Of course, Australia is not a part of it. Nonetheless, they are historically our allies and they acted behind our back on strategic and military issues.

“This is a trust crisis. My first comment was [it was] some sort of betrayal. The second element is a crisis of trust between historical partners, which is even more of a concern.”

Le Drian said France wants to be the “go-between” of Indo-Pacific and European countries and that strategic co-operation is one its priorities for the presidency of the EU bloc.

The visit comes as France goes on an offensive to boost its relationships in Asia following the loss of the strategic deal with Australia in September.

“The heart of this commitment is our vision of an Indo-Pacific which is free and open, based on the rule of law, and a respect for the sovereignty of every state,” Le Drian told reporters.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian speaking during a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart during a visit to Jakarta. Picture: Indonesia Foreign Ministry

Australia said it decided to obtain nuclear-powered submarines as part of AUKUS, to counter a rising China, which has been building up its own navy and testing decades of US military dominance across Asia.

France has since looked to bolster alliances with its long-time partners, Japan and India, but has also turned its attention to Southeast Asian nations.

During his visit, Le Drian met with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Jakarta to sign an action plan that he said will strengthen the two “countries‘ strategic partnership” and improve ties ”in defence and maritime affairs”.

He also met with Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who leads Jakarta’s ongoing negotiations for the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets, but no deal was announced.

Jakarta has also shown interest in procuring submarines, corvettes and other military equipment as tensions with Beijing continue to simmer.

Originally published as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian slams Australia while meeting Jakarta President