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Updated September 19th, 2021 at 16:44 IST

AUKUS: French FM condemns US, Australia of 'lies', accuses them of 'duplicity'

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on September 18, Saturday, accused Australia and the US of lying over their new trilateral defence pact - AUKUS.

Reported by: Bhavya Sukheja
AUKUS
IMAGE: AP/PIXABAY | Image:self
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France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on September 18, Saturday, accused Australia and the US of lying over their new trilateral defence pact - AUKUS - that forced Paris to recall its ambassadors and cancel the Washington gala. In an interview with France 2 television, Le Drian accused the countries of “duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt”. He further even went on to say that a “serious crisis” was in progress between the allies. 

In the televised interview, the French Foreign Minister said, “The fact that for the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France we are recalling our ambassador for consultations is a serious political act, which shows the magnitude of the crisis that exists now between our countries”. 

Le Drian also informed that the ambassadors were being called back to Paris to “re-evaluate the situation”. However, he also added that France had seen “no need” to recall its envoys to the United Kingdom, as he accused the country of “constant opportunism”. He said, “Britain in this whole thing is a bit like the third wheel”. 

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. Previously, Le Drian had called the deal a “unilateral, brutal and unpredictable decision”. He 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”.

'Matter of great disappointment'

Meanwhile, according to the BBC, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that he had acted in the country’s national interests. Morrison insisted that France would have had every reason to know that we had “deep and grave concerns” that the $37 billion deal signed in 2016 was not going to meet Australia’s strategic interests. He said that it is a “matter of great disappointment” to the French government, so he understands their disappointment. But at the same time, Morrison added that Australia like any sovereign nation must always take decisions that are in its "sovereign national defence interest”. 

(Image: AP/Pixabay)
 

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Published September 19th, 2021 at 16:44 IST

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