AUKUS row: US State Secretary Blinken reaches France to mend frayed ties

In a bid to fix ruptured diplomatic ties with France over the AUKUS deal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reached France on Monday. The visit has followed the announcement of the trilateral security pact between the US, UK and Australia, which has impacted billion dollars worth of Paris defence sales, thus affecting ties with Washington.

Calling the deal "brutal", France has denounced the Biden administration's move against his pledge to priortise Allies, CNN reported. Thus, since the unveiling of the AUKUS pact in mid-September, the US has been instrumental in repairing the frayed ties with France. However, French officials in Washington and Paris asserted that there is no quick repair to the diplomatic rift. On the sidelines of meeting his French counterparts, Blinken will also attend the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED) Forum, he wrote on Twitter.

Rift over nuclear deal

The AUKUS pact has led France to incur a loss of $65 billion on its defence deal, under which it sold conventional diesel-powered submarines to Australia. Additionally, France was appraised about the deal just hours ahead of its official announcement.

It is noteworthy that France has remained outspoken on its expectations from the US regarding the restoration of US and France ties. On September 22, US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron jointly opted for "open consultations" for a way forward, BBC reported. Both the country leaders are scheduled to meet by the end of this month. Notably, while Paris has asserted that only "time and action" will heal the tattered ties, Biden's officials have expressed will to commit to the approach.

The AUKUS deal

On September 15, Australia, the US and UK announced a trilateral security partnership to ensure strategic up-gradation of maritime security in Southeastern international waters. The "historic step" is said to be a joint effort of the three nations and is seen as a move to counter China-administered aggression in the South-East China Sea. As unveiled by the leaders, the submarines will hold nuclear power and not nuclear weapons. It is noteworthy that Australia is a vital part of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). According to US President Joe Biden, the deal was signed between the leaders over a joint video conference as an "imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term," he told during the conference.

Image: AP