Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will visit French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris next week to formally "reset" diplomatic relations, which were flung into the freezer after the Morrison government scrapped a massive deal to build 12 submarines, reports ABC News.
In an interview on the ABC's 7.30, Mr Albanese said he was invited to France by Mr Macron and expected to receive a warm welcome.
"We do need to reset. We've already had very constructive discussions," the prime minister added.
Earlier this month, the new Labor government announced it had agreed to pay French shipbuilder Naval Group $835 million in compensation for the scrapped deal.
In total, $3.4 billion was spent on the program, a figure Mr Albanese labelled an "extraordinary waste" of taxpayer money.
"France, of course, is central to power in Europe, but it's also a key power in the Pacific, in our own region as well," Mr Albanese told Leigh Sales.