US Secy Antony Blinken to meet French counterpart over submarine row

A day after US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron talked over the phone, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday to discuss the process of consultations to restore confidence between the countries. The meeting was scheduled after Biden and Macron dialled to sort out differences and to repair ties between the NATO allies, created due to the cancellation of a multi-billion dollar defence deal following the signing of the AUKUS agreement.

Soon after the meeting, the French Foreign Ministry released a statement in which it said the two countries held in-depth consultations in the backdrop of a submarine deal. "The minister [Le Drian] discussed with his US counterpart the conditions and main themes of the process of in-depth consultations between the two countries aimed at restoring confidence," the statement read.

The ministry claimed that the first step to sort out grievances was taken by the United States, but stressed that the country was not only expecting clarifications regarding the deal but also clear commitments from Biden. "He [Le Drian] recalled that the first step was taken during a telephone conversation between the two presidents, but noted that overcoming the crisis between our two countries would take time and action," the ministry added.

France agrees to send ambassadors back to Washington

On Wednesday, Biden and Macron talked for almost half an hour in which the US President agreed to meet his French counterpart next month to discuss the way forward. It is worth noting that the phone call between the two presidents came after Britain, Australia and the US announced the security partnership - AUKUS - with the initial task of the United States and the UK backing Canberra's bid to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines. This significant development paved the path for the cancellation of a previous agreement signed between Australia and France-based defence companies.

Following these developments, France recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington as the multibillion-dollar deal to build French submarines was dropped by the Australian side. According to the French ministry's statement, both the leaders agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and European partners. In the latest development, following Blinken's meeting with Le Drian, France agreed to send its ambassadors back to Washington next week.

(With inputs from ANI and AP, Image: AP)