France recalled for consultation its ambassadors in the United States and Australia because of “exceptional gravity” the announcement of the strategic partnership between Washington, London and Canberra.
This alliance led to the cancellation by Australia of a big contract for the purchase of submarines to France.
“At the request of the President of the Republic”, announces the head of the Quai d’Orsay Jean-Yves Le Drian, “I decided to immediately recall to Paris for consultations with our two ambassadors in the United States and in Australia”.
“This exceptional decision is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on September 15 by Australia and the United States”, he said in a statement.
It’s the first time that such a decision is taken vis-à-vis these two countries, in particular the United States, historical allies of France since their war of independence.
Since the announcement on Wednesday of this security partnership, dubbed Aukus, and the cancellation by Australia of the contract providing for the supply of a dozen conventional submarines for several tens of billions of euros, France is not angry with the United States and Australia.
Jean-Yves Le Drian denounced Thursday a “blow in the back” of Australia, and a decision “brutal” by US President Joe Biden.
France also canceled a gala evening scheduled for Friday evening to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Chesapeake Bay, decisive in the United States War of Independence, concluded with a victory for the French fleet over the British fleet on the 5th September 1781.
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