France on Saturday announced that it has recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia, in a tit-for-tat move after Australia scrapped a big French conventional submarine purchase in favour of nuclear subs built with US technology. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a written statement on Friday that the French decision, on request from President Emmanuel Macron, "is justified by the exceptional seriousness of the announcements" made by Australia and the United States.
US President Joe Biden had earlier announced a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance with Australia and Britain, leading France to lose a nearly $100 billion deal to build diesel-electric submarines. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday expressed total incomprehension at the move and criticised both Australia and the US. "It was really a stab in the back. We built a relationship of trust with Australia, and this trust was betrayed, he said. This is not done between allies," he said. He also compared Biden's move to those of his predecessor, Donald Trump, under Trump's America First doctrine.
Australia said Saturday it was noting with regret France's recall of its ambassador over the surprise cancellation of a submarine contract in favour of a US deal. France recalled its ambassadors to Australia and the United States on Friday in an unprecedented show of anger over a deal among the United States, Australia and Britain to provide Australia with a fleet of at least eight nuclear-power submarines. The deal scraps a 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract with French majority state-owned Naval Group, signed in 2016, to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.
French Foreign Minister Marise Payne's office said in a statement: "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. It added that Australia valued its relationship to France and looked forward to future engagements together.
Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton are currently in the United States for annual talks with their US counterparts and their first with President Joe Biden's administration.
