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PARIS (AP) – French Foreign Minister on Saturday denounced what he called “duplicity, contempt and lies” surrounding the sudden termination of France’s lucrative contract to build submarines for Australia in favor of a US deal and said a crisis was imminent between the Western allies.
A day after France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian clubbed what he suggested was a behind-the-scenes deal that betrayed France.
The recall of his ambassadors “signifies the strength of the crisis today” between the French government and Washington and Canberra, he said in an interview with France 2 television. He said it was the first time that France, the oldest ally of the United States, recalled its ambassador to the United States.
President Joe Biden’s announcement of the deal, alongside Australian and British leaders, for at least eight nuclear-powered submarines has angered France. The French had signed a contract in 2016 for a dozen conventional diesel-electric submarines and the work to achieve them was already underway. The deal with Naval Group, majority owned by the French state, was worth at least $ 66 billion.
Diplomatic subtleties have disappeared as the French authorities seek to voice their anger.
Le Drian denied reports that there had been prior consultations with France before the announcement, saying “this is not true”.
The allies “do not treat each other with such brutality, such unpredictability, a major partner like France … So there really is a crisis,” said Le Drian.
“There are reasons for us to question the strength of our alliance,” said Le Drian.
Earlier, the French ambassador to Australia also strayed from diplomatic language by describing what has been widely presented in France as the “contract of the century”.
“It was a huge mistake, a very, very bad management of the partnership,” French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said before returning home to France.
The arms deal between France and Australia, signed in 2016, was supposed to be based “on trust, mutual understanding and sincerity,” an enraged Thebault said. “I wish I could stumble upon a time machine and be in a situation where we don’t find ourselves in such an incredible, awkward, inadequate, un-Australian situation.”
He said he discovered the canceled contract in the Australian press.
Le Drian said in a written statement Friday that the French decision to recall its ambassadors – at the request of President Emmanuel Macron – “is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements” made by Australia and the United States.
What the French authorities called a complex, multi-layered contract did not only concern submarines. It was the basis of the French vision of the critical Indo-Pacific region, where France is present and China seeks to strengthen its influence.
The Naval Group said in a statement that the consequences of canceling the contract would be analyzed with Australia “in the coming days”. He notes that teams in France and Australia have been working on the project for five years.
Australian Naval Group employees and their families have moved to the Normandy port of Cherbourg. A union official, David Robin, told BFMTV employees have been told there may be an option to keep them.
The office of Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne earlier issued a statement in response to the diplomat’s recall and noting Canberra’s “regrets” over the ally’s withdrawal of its ally.
“Australia understands France’s deep disappointment at our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests,” the statement said. He added that Australia values its relationship with France and looks forward to future engagements together.
Payne and Defense Secretary Peter Dutton are currently in the United States for annual talks with their American counterparts and their first with the Biden administration.
After the U.S. deal was made public last week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he told Macron in June that there were “very real issues as to whether a submarine capability conventional “would meet Australia’s strategic security needs in the Indo-Pacific.
Morrison did not specifically refer to China’s massive military build-up, which has accelerated in recent years.
Morrison was in Paris on his way back from a Group of Seven summit in Britain where he met with future alliance partners Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Thebault said he also attended the meeting with Macron and Morrison.
Morrison mentioned “that there have been changes in the regional situation,” but gave no indication that Australia was considering switching to nuclear propulsion, Thebault said.
“Everything had to be done in full transparency between the two partners,” he added.
Australian opposition MP Mark Dreyfus called on the Australian government to restore relations with France.
“The impact on our relations with France is a concern, especially as a country with important interests in our region,” said Dreyfus. “The French were taken aback by this decision and Mr Morrison should have done a lot more to protect the relationship.”
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