Jean-Pierre Thebault, France's ambassador to Australia, said on Wednesday that Australia acted dishonestly when it abruptly abandoned a multibillion-dollar deal with Paris to create a submarine fleet.
"The deception was planned," Thebault said in an interview with the media in Canberra on Wednesday.
Thebault said in quotes by Reuters that as far more was at stake than providing submarines, as it was an agreement on sovereignty and highly classified data was being transmitted, "the way it was handled was a stab in the back."
In September, Australia called off a deal with the Naval Group of France, deciding instead to build at least 12 nuclear-powered submarines in a joint venture with the United States and the United Kingdom.
For the first time, Australia will have access to nuclear-powered submarines thanks to the new "AUKUS" alliance.
The move has sparked a huge diplomatic spat, with France recalling its diplomats to Australia and the U.S. in protest. Thebault returned to Canberra last month, and his speech on Wednesday was the first time he addressed the bilateral ties in public.
"These are not things that are done between partners, let alone friends," Thebault said, adding that the French government had no beef with Australians.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, claimed Sunday that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had misled him about Canberra's intentions.
Morrison has refuted the allegation. He said that he had previously informed Macron that conventional submarines would no longer suffice for Australia's requirements.
Last week, Morrison and Macron spoke before the Australian leader publicly requested a handshake with his French counterpart at the G20 summit.
The deterioration of the two countries' typically cordial diplomatic relations now threatens to spill over into trade implications.
A planned round of free trade discussions between the European Union and Australia has been postponed twice. In support of France, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed doubts about the bloc's ability to reach a trade agreement with Australia.
The relationship was put to the test again this week when leaked texts between Morrison and Macron were revealed in Australian media, attempting to dispute France's assertion that Australia did not give it enough notice that the contract would be terminated.
