“During last weekend’s horrendous attack in Sydney, two of our countrymen, Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot showed great courage in trying to stop the attacker,” tweeted Imbert.
“I thanked them on behalf of France and we will soon have the opportunity to express our collective gratitude to them,” he said.
The Australian government also announced it would grant permanent residency to Damien Guerot for “extraordinary bravery” after video footage showed him confronting the attacker.
Five women and a security guard were killed in the attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall on Saturday. Twelve people were wounded, most of whom were female.
Senior police officers said they were investigating the possibility the attacker had specifically targeted women.