The EU has postponed another free trade negotiations with Australia

For the second time, the European Union (EU) has postponed another round of free trade negotiations with Australia. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said this on Friday. Brussels has angered Canberry's decision to cancel a $ 40 billion (€ 34.37 billion) contract with France. In September, Australia canceled a contract with a French company to build a fleet of conventional submarines. Instead, it decided to build at least eight nuclear submarines with American and British technology following the conclusion of a tripartite safety partnership called AUKUS with the two countries. The cancellation of the contract angered France, which accused both Australia and the United States of "stabbing him in the back". Paris recalled its ambassadors from both Canberra and Washington. As a show of solidarity with France, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed doubts as to whether the bloc could conclude a trade agreement with Australia. Australian Minister Tehan said on Friday that the 12th round of negotiations with the EU was postponed for the second time during the month, this time to February 2022. The talks had previously been postponed for a month, to November. "The European Union has announced to the Australian government that the 12th round of negotiations on a free trade agreement will take place in February," Tehan said in a statement. Tehan noted a few weeks ago that Australia would conclude a free trade agreement with the EU by the end of next year.