Scott Morrison has spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron for the first time since Australia decided to renege on a $90 billion submarine contract with the European power.
Mr Macron said Australia "broke the relationship of trust" between the two nations and it was up to Mr Morrison to repair the relationship.
"It is now up to the Australian government to propose tangible actions that embody the political will of Australia's highest authorities to redefine the basis of our bilateral relationship," he told Mr Morrison, according to a statement released by the Elysee.
The call between the two leaders delayed Mr Morrison's departure from Canberra on Thursday night for the G20 summit in Rome.
The federal government said the phone call - the first time the pair have spoken since France was informed by letter that Canberra was scrapping the 2016 submarine deal - came after Mr Morrison wrote a letter to Mr Macron in October.
"The prime minister was pleased to be able to speak with President Macron," a government read-out of the call said.
"They had a candid discussion on the bilateral relationship.
"The prime minister looks forward to future collaborations on our shared interests, particularly in the Indo-Pacific."
A formal bilateral meeting between the two leaders at the G20 summit has not been scheduled.
Mr Morrison also took the opportunity to talk to Mr Macron about the government's recent commitment to a net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Mr Macron encouraged Mr Morrison to adopt "ambitious measures" on climate change and urged Australia to increase its commitment to cease coal production and consumption and "ratchet up" its role in reducing emissions.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the prime minister was keen for the phone call to happen.
"It was a productive phone call," told the Nine Network on Friday.
"Obviously, the French are upset, there is no question about that, they have expressed that, and we understand their frustration.
"Once we get through that next year hopefully we can continue with steps to normalise the relationship, but that's the situation at the moment."
Ahead of the G20 summit in Rome, Scott Morrison said the world was reaching a critical point in the health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The world is reaching what I think is a critical point in our health and economic recovery from COVID," Mr Morrison said in Canberra before jetting off.
Australia was committed to providing millions of vaccines especially to countries in the Pacific and South East Asia, he said.
The prime minister will speak at the G20 during a session on the dangers of social media for children and will ask other leaders to follow Australia in holding social media platforms to account.
"They're publishers, not just platforms, and particularly when they allow people to anonymously go on their platforms and publish their vile rubbish ... that's not freedom of speech, that's just cowardice," he said.
Mr Morrison is also keen to talk up Australia's role in helping developing nations shift to renewable energy, after his government's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
He's also expected to take part in side events to promote small businesses and the role of the private sector in addressing climate change.
Mr Morrison will meet with Indonesian leader Joko Widodo in Rome, amid concerns about Australia's nuclear-powered submarine deal with the UK and US - which so angered the French.
