France warned of serious crisis between allies and asked NATO for reflection after formation of AUKUS

France accused Australia and the United States on Saturday of lying about the breach of an Australian contract to purchase French submarines and spoke of “serious crisis” between allies, following the call for consultations by their ambassadors in Canberra and Washington.

Talking on TV France 2, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that It is a “serious crisis” and he denounced “a lie (…), a duplicity (…), a great breach of trust” and an “outrage” by the allies of France.

The Minister made the remarks a day after France, on orders from President Emmanuel Macron, called its ambassadors in Canberra and Washington for consultations in an unprecedented act that shows his anger at the cancellation of the sub’s contract.

He described the ambassadors’ call for consultations as a “very symbolic” act which aims to show “that there is a serious crisis between us”.

This is the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France.

“We called on our ambassadors to try to understand and show our former partner countries that we are very unhappy, that there really is a serious crisis between us, ”said Le Drian.

PRIOR NOTICE

On Sunday, the Australian Minister of Finance, Simon Birmingham, insisted that his country informed the French government “as soon as possible, before it is made public”.

He said on national television ABC What “It was always going to be a difficult decision” to cancel the agreement with France.

“We do not now underestimate the importance of (…) ensuring that these solid links with the French government are re-established,” he added. “Your continued involvement in this region is important.”

But the French minister was frank in answering the question of why he hadn’t called his ambassador in London for consultations although the UK is also part of the security pact.

“We know its permanent opportunism,” he quipped months after Brexit. “The UK on this issue is kind of like the last in line.”

The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership to counter China, AUKUS, which includes the supply of American nuclear submarines to Canberra, putting the French out of the question.

In 2016, France signed a contract worth 90 billion Australian dollars (56 billion euros, 65 billion dollars) for the supply of 12 submarines to Australia., often nicknamed “the deal of the century” because of its scale and strategic scope.

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs also considered that this crisis will influence the definition of NATO’s new strategic concept, not to mention, however, a departure from the Atlantic Alliance.

“NATO has initiated a reflection, at the request of the President of the Republic, on its foundations. The next NATO summit in Madrid will conclude the new strategic concept. Of course, what just happened will have to do with that definition, ”said Le Drian.

“At the same time, Europe must equip itself with its strategic compass and this will be the responsibility of France. in the first half of 2022 ”, he added, referring to the French presidency of the European Union on January 1.

HOW TO SOLVE THE DIFFERENCES

Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, noted that the dispute will have no impact on the alliance’s “military cooperation”.

“There may be implications or consequences as a result of this agreement, but I do not foresee for the moment that this will have an impact on the cohesion within NATO “Bauer said at a press conference in Athens, where a conference of Allied defense chiefs was held.

The United States hopes to settle their dispute with France “next week” at the United Nations, a US diplomatic spokesperson said on Friday.

“We have been in close contact with our French allies” and “We look forward to continuing our discussion on this issue at a high level in the coming days, including at the United Nations General Assembly next week.” in New York, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a tweet.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French Foreign Minister Le Drian will be in New York next week for the big annual meeting of world diplomacy.

A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, said: “We regret that they have taken this step, we will continue to engage in the coming days to resolve our differences.”

(With information from AFP)

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