Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Drian said that the country’s ambassadors in the United States and Australia will respond to consultation after the gap of the Canberra underwater contracts with the French company Naval Group. It is reported by RIA Novosti.
As the minister stressed, such a decision was made at the request of the President of France Emmanuel Macron. “This is an exceptional solution justified by the special seriousness of applications made on September 15 Australia and the USA,” he explained, calling the actions of Australia “unacceptable behavior between allies and partners.”
Before that, Jean-Yves Drian called Australia’s refusal from the construction of a diesel-electric submarine “kick in the back.” He stressed that France is waiting for explanations from both the United States and Australia. The leader of the French Socialists Jean-Luke Melanchon and demanded that the country would come out of NATO.
September 16, Canberra, London and Washington concluded a partnership agreement in the Defense and Security Aukus. His goal is to “protect and defend common interests in the Indo-Pacific region.”