Australia: The United States has learned that France has not been informed of the termination of the submarine agreement

Posted:

Oct 31, 2021 16:32 GMT

According to the Australian prime minister, Canberra has been communicating with Washington at every stage of its negotiations with Paris. Although it is possible that Biden’s staff did not brief him on the matter.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison He challenged the last words of US President Joe BidenHe asserted that he was unaware that France had not been informed of the unexpected termination of the commercial contract which was contemplating the purchase of French submarines by the oceanic nation.

Canberra, Washington has been kept informed Of his dialogue with the French government, Morrison confirmed in an interview during the G-20 summit, which is being held in Rome (Italy) this weekend.

The Australian leader stated that his government “works hand in hand with the United States and the United Kingdom” and that he has communicated with them at every stage of the negotiations with France, Thus bargaining for his American counterpart. However, it is possible that the Biden administration itself did not keep him informed of the matter, Australian authorities presume.

“Australia made the right decision, which is beneficial to us as it allows us to have the right submarine fleet that serves our strategic interests,” the prime minister said, adding that it was not easy to “frustrate your friend and partner….” In the end, the boss once again emphasized it Although it was “a difficult decision for Australia, it was the right one”.

Tensions between France, on the one hand, and the United States and Australia, on the other, began in mid-September when Paris accused of treason (a) Canberra To terminate without warning a multi-million dollar deal with the French shipbuilder, which promised to supply the country with 12 conventional submarines. Australia canceled the contract worth 66 billion dollars and Announced joining the AUKUS military alliance, as well as Washington and London.

cause the situation Diplomatic conflict France wasted no time in summoning its ambassadors in both the United States and Australia for consultation, albeit later. pull measure.

Despite the wrath of Paris and the tensions that erupted between the two countries, Morrison never regretted breaking the contract With France and the celebration of the Tripartite Agreement, according to which the North American country agreed to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, continued.

met the French president Biden This Friday, one day before the opening of the G20 summit. During the meeting, the President of the United States I acknowledge I had the impression that Australia had long informed France of the cancellation of the submarine supply agreement.

“I swear to God I didn’t know what Not notifiedThe US president stressed. What we did was clumsy“, He said.