On the occasion of her visit to France on 9 June 2026, Senator the Honourable Penny Wong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, and Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, held a bilateral discussion on key areas of cooperation, including responses to international crises and challenges.
In the context of international tensions and geopolitical shifts, the Ministers reaffirmed the dynamism of the France–Australian partnership, which is based on shared values and a mutual commitment to an international system underpinned by agreed rules and norms. As neighbours in the Pacific, France and Australia are working together for a peaceful, stable, prosperous Indo-Pacific region, which remains open and inclusive, where the sovereignty of all states is fully respected.
The Ministers confirmed their common intention to elevate the bilateral relationship through the adoption of an upgraded Australia-France Roadmap, which will provide a framework for further strategic engagement.
Under the upgraded Roadmap, the results achieved under the 2023 Australia-France Roadmap across the three pillars of Defence and Security, Resilience and Climate Action, and Education and Culture, will be built upon and guide further work. The flagship 2023 Roadmap project, the Franco–Australian Indo-Pacific Centre for Energy Transition, will continue as well as our dialogue on critical minerals. We have agreed to expand cooperation in fields such as national security and policing. We will also seek to increase our collaboration to counter cyber crime and drug trafficking, while reinforcing global rules and norms. Sport will continue to be a key feature of the upgraded Roadmap ahead of the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.