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Ambassador of France to Australia | |
---|---|
Incumbent Jean-Pierre Thébault since 27 November 2020 | |
Style | His Excellency |
Appointer | Emmanuel Macron |
Inaugural holder | Pierre Augé |
Formation | 1944 |
Website | La France en Australie |
The ambassador of France to Australia is an officer of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the head of the Embassy of the French Republic to the Commonwealth of Australia. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and holds non-resident accreditation for Fiji and Papua New Guinea. The ambassador is based with the embassy in Perth Avenue, Yarralumla in Canberra.
The ambassador is currently Jean-Pierre Thébault, [1] and France and Australia have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1944, although consular representation has existed in Australia and its previous colonies. In 1836, King Louis-Philippe created the first Australian Consulate in Sydney. Opened in 1842, the Sydney consulate was followed by one in Melbourne in 1854. During the Second World War, there existed two French delegations to Australia: one on behalf of the Vichy government, the other for the Free French. These delegations combined in July 1944 following Australia's formal recognition of the Free French forces as the legitimate government of France and Pierre Augé was appointed Minister by the provisional government of Charles de Gaulle in December 1944. [2]
Incumbent | Start of term | End of term |
---|---|---|
Pierre Augé [3] | 10 March 1945 | 1949 |
Gabriel Padovani | 1949 | 1952 |
Louis Roché | 1952 | 1955 |
Renaud Sivan | 1955 | 1960 |
Philippe Monod | 1960 | 1963 |
François Brière | 1963 | 1967 |
André Favereau | 1967 | 1971 |
Gabriel Van Laethem | 1971 | 1975 |
Albert Tréca | 1975 | 1978 |
Pierre Carraud | 1978 | 1981 |
Jean-Bernard Mérimée | February 1982 | May 1985 |
Bernard Follin | 1985 | 1988 |
Roger Duzer | 1988 | 1991 |
Philippe Baude | 1991 | 1995 |
Dominique Girard | 1995 | 2000 |
Pierre Viaux | 2000 | 2003 |
Patrick Hénault | 2003 | 2005 |
François Descoueyte | 2005 | 2008 |
Michel Filhol | 2008 | 2011 |
Stéphane Romatet | 2011 | 2014 |
Christophe Lecourtier | 27 June 2014 | June 2017 |
Christophe Penot | 27 June 2017 | November 2020 |
Jean-Pierre Thébault | 27 November 2020 |
Diplomatic relations exist between Australia and France, as well as the historical contacts, shared values of democracy and human rights, substantial commercial links, and a keen interest in each other's culture.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Greece. Relations between the two states are close: the countries were allies during both World Wars and the Korean War. During World War II, Australian forces took part in the Battle of Greece and the Battle of Crete. There is a large Greek community in Australia. Each country has an embassy in the other's capital. Greece also has consulates general in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as a consulate in Perth, honorary consulates general in Brisbane and Darwin, and honorary consulates in Newcastle and Hobart. Both countries are full members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
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Foreign relations are present between Australia and Finland. Diplomatic relations were established on 31 May 1949. Australia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, and through an honorary consulate in Helsinki. Finland has had an embassy in Canberra since 1978, alongside honorary consulate generals in Melbourne and Perth, honorary consulates in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, and Sydney, and an honorary vice-consulate in Cairns.
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Diplomatic relations between Australia and Morocco were established in 1976. Morocco has had an embassy in Canberra since 2004 and the Australian Embassy in Rabat was established in May 2017, upgrading the existing Austrade office in Rabat. Previously the Australian Embassy in Paris was accredited to Morocco since 1978.
The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea, New Caledonia represents the Commonwealth of Australia in New Caledonia, a special collectivity of France, and is also accredited to the Pacific French Overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. The Consul-General also serves as Australia's representative to the Noumea-based Pacific Community. The Consulate-General, one of four in New Caledonia, has since 1976 had its offices at 19 avenue du Maréchal Foch, Nouméa.
Diplomatic relations exist between Australia and Spain. In the 2016 Australian Census, 120,952 Australian residents claimed Spanish descent, while 15,391 indicated they were born in Spain. Both nations are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Canberra is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Commonwealth of Australia. It is currently located at 1 Moonah Place in the Yarralumla suburb of south Canberra, just beyond the periphery of Parliament House.
Foreign relations exist between Australia and Latvia. Australia first recognised Latvia on 22 September 1921 and was among the first countries to re-recognise Latvia's independence on 27 August 1991. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations on 21 November 1991. Australia is represented in Latvia through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden and an honorary consulate in Riga. Latvia has had an embassy in Canberra since October 2021, and also has honorary consulates in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.