French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Sydney to meet Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Sydney for his first trip to Australia and headed off to dinner with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy.
NSW
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FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Sydney for his first trip to Australia.
Mr Macron arrived at Sydney Airport before 6pm on Tuesday ahead of dinner with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy.
The president and Mr Turnbull are expected to focus on trade and defence and strategic issues, including French firm Naval Group’s contract to build Australia’s new fleet of 12 submarines in Adelaide.
Mr Macron is travelling with a delegation of military and naval contractors. China’s growing influence in the South Pacific will also be discussed. France has a number of island territories in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Australia’s commitment to climate change action and French resistance to a European Union-Australian free trade deal are likely to be pointy issues in bilateral discussions.
Australia and the European Union hope to fire the starter’s gun on free trade negotiations by the middle of the year.
The EU parliament has granted the European Commission permission to begin negotiations, however, the 28 member states are yet to officially approve a mandate.
The EU is Australia’s second-largest trading partner and largest source of foreign direct investment, with trade worth $99.5 billion.
The Australian trip is Mr Macron’s first visit Down Under. He hosted Mr Turnbull at the Elysee Palace in Paris in 2017.
Former President Hollande made a state visit to Australia in November 2014 in the lead-up to Australia hosting the G20 Summit.
After his short visit to Sydney, Mr Macron will travel to New Caledonia to rally support for the territory remaining part of France when residents go to a referendum in early November.