France’s exclusion from the Aukus security alliance has given the European powerhouse an impetus to step up its engagement with other countries in the Indo-Pacific region while it mends frayed ties with Australia, one of its senior diplomats has said.France’s ambassador for the Indo-Pacific Christophe Penot said France had been engaging with countries including Japan and India before the pact between Australia, Britain and the United States was announced in September, and it hoped to strengthen…