Australia defends its decision of cancelling French submarine deal

"I don`t regret the decision to put Australia`s national interest first," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Sydney: Australia defended its scrapping of a deal for French submarines on Sunday (September 19), saying the government had raised concerns to Paris for months, as a new deal with the United States and Britain continued to fuel a multinational diplomatic crisis.

"I don`t regret the decision to put Australia`s national interest first," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Australia ditched the 2016 deal with France`s Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines, announcing on Thursday (September 16) a plan to build at least eight nuclear-powered ones with US and British technology in a trilateral security partnership.

The move infuriated France, a NATO ally of the United States and Britain, prompting it to recall its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra. It also riled China the major rising power in the Indo-Pacific region.