The French ambassador to Italy, who was recalled last week during a spat between the two countries, is to return to Rome on Friday, France's European affairs minister said.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday he was ready to meet his French counterpart "this week" for talks following a spat which saw France recalling its ambassador from Rome.

Australia formally signed a Aus$50 billion "strategic partnership" with France to build 12 state of the art submarines Monday, a signal of Canberra's willingness to project power across the Pacific.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday reassured Prime Minister Saad Hariri during a meeting in Dubai that Paris is committed to pay what it had pledged at the CEDRE economic conference.

“We discussed the means to implement the reforms in Lebanon and I wanted to stress to PM Hariri that France fully supports the implementation of these reforms,” Le Maire said after the meeting.

The French government took a dig at Italy's populist leaders and the country's economic problems on Friday, while defending its decision to recall its ambassador to Rome.

Paris summoned back its ambassador in Rome for consultations on Thursday for the first time since World War II, a symbolic move that underlined the depths of ill-will between the two capitals.

France's foreign ministry said Thursday it had recalled its ambassador to Rome for consultations after a series of "provocations" by leaders of Italy's populist government.

Intolerance and conspiracy theories have haunted the margins of France's "yellow vest" movement since the first protests over fuel taxes roused the discontented middle of French society.

The men and women in fluorescent safety vests blocking traffic and intimidating shoppers on the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue vent a range of grievances against the government.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he "deplores" the deaths during "yellow vest" demonstrations of 11 people, which he said were not caused by French security forces.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for "respect for individual freedoms" as he met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Monday.

France has reportedly “halted” its military support for Lebanon's army in protest at Hizbullah’s “military acts,” and asked Israel to “refrain from any aggression” against the Mediterranean country before it forms a government, An Nahar daily reported on Monday.