Canberra: The French Ambassador to Australia has been described as a “big mistake” of the cancellation of Australian surprises from the main submarine contract that supported the US agreement, because the diplomat was prepared to leave the country in an unprecedented anger show.
France’s envoy Jean-Pierre Thebault delivered his comments on Saturday when he left his residence in the capital Canberra.
“This is a big mistake, the handling of the partnership is very, very bad,” Thebault said, explaining that weapons agreements between Paris and Canberra should be based “in trust, mutual understanding and sincerity.” Paris remembers its ambassadors to Australia and the United States on Friday to protest an agreement between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom to supply Australia with a fleet of at least eight submarines of nuclear power.
The agreement was a 90 billion Australian Dollar contract ($ 66 billion) with a group of the majority of France, signed in 2016, to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.
“I want to be able to run into the machine time and be in a situation where we don’t end up with an extraordinary situation, awkward, inadequate, no-Australia,” added the French Ambassador.
The Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s office had previously issued a statement in response to diplomat withdrawals and recorded Canberra’s “regret” over the withdrawal of time.
“Australia understands the deep disappointment of France with our decision, which is taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests,” said the statement.
It added that Australia appreciated his relationship with France and looked forward to the involvement in the future together.
Payne and Defense Minister Peter Dutton is currently in the United States for annual talks with their US counterparts and the first with the administration of President Joe Biden.
Before he remembered, France’s messenger thebault said on Friday he knew about the agreement of the US submarine, “like everyone, thanks to the Australian press.” “We have never been told about substantial changes,” Thebault said.
“There are many opportunities and many channels.
There has never been a change mentioned.” After the US agreement was made public this week, Scott Morrison’s Prime Minister said he told the French President Emanuel Macron in June that there was a “very real problem about whether conventional submarine capabilities” will discuss Australia’s strategic security needs at the Indo-Pacific.
Morrison did not specifically refer to the buildup of massive military China who had received speed in recent years.
Morrison was in Paris on his way home from a group of seven nations in the UK where he spoke with alliance partners who would soon become Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Thebault said he was also at a meeting with Macron and Morrison.
Morrison said “there were changes in regional situations,” but did not provide an indication that Australia was considering turning into a nuclear propulsion, thebault said.
“Everything should be done with full transparency between the two partners,” he added.
Thebault said the difficulties encountered by normal projects for the scale and major technology transfer.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement on Friday that considering the two ambassadors, at the request of Macron, “justified by the extraordinary seriousness of the announcement” made by Australia and the United States.
Le Drian said Australian decision to purchase submarines that support nuclear vessels built with US technology are “unacceptable behavior between allies and partners.” For members of the senior parliament marking Dreyfus asked the Australian Government to improve his relationship with France.
“The impact on our relationship with France is a concern, especially as a country with important interests in our region,” said Dreyfus.
“France is blind with decisions and Morrison should have done more to protect the relationship,” he added.
France said the Australia-US submarine agreement was ‘big mistake’
