US-Australia military deal irks France: Paris recalls envoys from US and Australia

Paris, September 18: Amid France's ongoing rift with Australia over the nuclear submarine deal, Paris has now plunged into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with the United States and Australia as it recalled its ambassadors from both countries.

 

 

The rare decision taken by French President Emmanuel Macron was made due to the seriousness of the matter, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement. Le Drian said in a statement that the decision was made to "immediately" recall the two French ambassadors due to "the exceptional seriousness of the announcements made on September 15 by Australia and the United States."

 

The abandonment of the ocean-class submarine project that Australia and France had been working on since 2016 constituted "unacceptable behavior among allies and partners," the minister said. "Their consequences affect the very concept we have of our alliances, our partnerships, and the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe," he added.

 

 

 

The diplomatic crisis began after Australia, Washington, and Britain announced a trilateral pact, under which Australia will receive a nuclear-powered submarine fleet from the US. This trilateral pact infuriated France as it has lost a $40 billion submarine deal to the US. Back in 2016, Australia had signed a contract to buy 12 Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A Attack-class conventional diesel-electric submarines worth $40 billion from the French shipbuilder DCNS, which is now known as the Naval Group (which is partly owned by the government).

 

 

Following which Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, criticised Australia’s decision to scrap a submarine deal between the two countries. “It’s a stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed…”

 

 

 

Le Drian also criticised the US for its “unilateral, sudden and unforeseeable decision” and compared the move to “something [former US President Donald] Trump would do”. “I am very angry today, and bitter...this is not something allies do to each other,” the French foreign minister said. Paris has also cancelled a gala that was scheduled for Friday evening at its embassy in Washington DC to mark the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Capes, a key battle in the American Revolutionary War.

 

Reacting to Paris's decision, White House officials said the Biden administration has been "in close touch with our French partners" on their decision.

 

"While we regret that they have taken this step, we will continue to be engaged in the coming days to resolve our differences, as we have done at other points throughout our long alliance. France is our oldest ally and one of our strongest partners, and we share a long history, democratic values, and a commitment to working together to address global challenges. As President Biden and President Macron affirmed during their meeting in Cornwall last June, our countries will continue to cooperate closely on the full range of issues, from pandemic recovery and the climate crisis to global economic prosperity and security," the White House official said.

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