French Trade Minister Declines to Meet With Australian Counterpart

Franck Riester, France's minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness, speaks at a joint news conference with the French finance minister and WTO's director-general at WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 1, 2021 Denis Balibouse/Reuters

PARIS—French Trade Minister Franck Riester has declined an offer to meet his Australian counterpart next month in Paris, suggesting tensions will not quickly subside after Canberra’s recent decision to scrap a $40 billion submarine deal with France.

Dan Tehan had told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio on Monday he would be “very keen” to meet Riester when he is in Paris in October for an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development meeting.