French President Macron to make first Australian visit in May: Aussie PM

CANBERRA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Wednesday announced that French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canberra on May 1-3.

Macron and Turnbull will discuss the 50-billion- Australian-dollar (about 38 billion U.S. dollars) Future Submarines Program, one of the biggest contract in the history of the Australian Defence Force that was awarded to France's Naval Group, the prime minister said.

The two sides will also discuss the next steps toward launching negotiations of an Australia-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA), "which will embody our commitment to open markets and a liberal rules-based trading system, while significantly strengthening our trade and investment ties," Turnbull said.

2018 marks 100 years since the end of World War I, a war where France and Australia fought alongside each other, the prime minister said.

"France is one of our oldest and closest friends. This year especially we remember our nations' shared sacrifice in the trenches of the Western Front a century ago," Turnbull said.

"In a time of uncertainty and persistent challenges to the international-rules-based order to which both our countries are firmly committed, we must continue to work together to address global challenges and create opportunity for the prosperity of our people."

This will be Macron's first visit to Australia since the French president came to power in 2017. Enditem