Australia PM says no opportunity for meeting with French president in New York

FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hold a news conference as they meet at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, June 15, 2021. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he will not speak with the French president at the United Nations this week even though French anger over cancellation of a $40 billion defence contract could threaten an Australian-EU trade deal.

Australia last week scrapped a deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and will instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership with those two countries.