Foreign Minister Marise Payne to visit France in opportunity to repair relations after submarine spat

Marise Payne is expected to fly to Paris next month for a key meeting between European and Indo-Pacific foreign ministers, potentially offering the government a chance to begin repairing the relationship with France in the wake of the acrimonious dispute over submarines. Key points: The foreign ministers' meeting is set to focus on building greater "strategic autonomy" and increasing investment in the Indo-Pacific The United States and China have not been invited to the meeting Ties between Paris and Canberra have remain strained since last year The French government has invited a host of foreign ministers from across Asia, the Pacific and East Africa to its capital on February 22 for a meeting with their European counterparts and top European Union officials. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says France and Europe must work on "alternative model" of engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific to counter Chinese powerplays. Last year, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accused Beijing of trying to maintain a "facade of multilateralism" while engaging in "asymmetric" contests with smaller states in the region and declared that France and Europe had to work on "alternative model" of engagement with countries. "We welcome the invitation from France and the European Union to attend the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in February," a spokesman for the Foreign Minister told the ABC.