AUKUS submarine row: Australia regrets France's envoy recall, 'understands disappointment'

Australia, on Saturday, said that it was noted with regret France’s recall of its ambassador over the surprise cancellation of a submarine contract in favour of a US deal. A day earlier, the Macron administration recalled its envoys to the US and Australia in protest of a new partnership between t countries to deliver at least eight nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra. The AUKUS deal scraps a 90 billion Aus$ 66 billion contract with France’s Naval Group to build 12 diesel-electric submarines. 

Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who is currently in Washington to hold annual talks with her American counterpart, said that her country “understood France’s disappointment” with the decision. It added that Australia valued its relationship with France and looked forward to future engagements together.

“We note with regret France’s decision to recall its Ambassador to Australia for consultations following the decision on the Attack Class project. Australia understands France’s deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests,” the statement said. 

AUKUS submarine row

France has reacted angrily to the new partnership between the US, UK and Australia (AUKUS). It has expressed frustration over a submarine deal, which ends a long-standing contract between Canberra and Paris and replaces it with a deal between the US, UK and Australia. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the deal a “unilateral, brutal and unpredictable decision”. While speaking to radio station Franceinfo, Le Drian said that it was a “stab in the back”, and added that France had established a relationship of trust with Australia and it has now been “betrayed”.

The French Foreign Minister also compared US President Joe Biden to former President Donald Trump over the agreement, recalling the frequent unilateral decision of the prior administration. However, the Biden administration officials have said that they gave France advanced notice of the pact before Wednesday’s announcement. Both US and Australia have indicated that the French government wasn’t blindsided and said that high-ranking French officials were made aware of the decision by the Australian government. 

Image: AP