First modification: 09/19/2021 – 15:17
On Sunday Australian Prime Minister Scott Morris reiterated that Australia had not lied about its plans to cancel a contract to purchase submarines from France and said it had already expressed concern about the deal. The situation has caused diplomatic tension between Paris and Canberra.
Interoceanic diplomatic crisis. This Sunday, Australia denied accusations of “treason” by France, triggered by the cancellation of a contract for submarines for the Australian fleet that were to be designed by the French state-owned company Grupo Naval.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison maintained that he had already communicated to France his concerns that the French aircraft “could not cover Australian interests.” in statements collected by the newspaper ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’.
“I think they had every reason to know that we were deeply concerned that the capability offered by the Attack-class submarine was not going to satisfy our strategic interests and we made it very clear that we would make a decision based on our strategic national interests,” Morrison said in a statement. press conference in Sydney.
The problem posed by the AUKUS agreement for France
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, announced last week a new security alliance with the United Kingdom and Australia – called AUKUS – that would allow the latter to have at least eight nuclear-powered submarines to cope with the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific.
After knowing the agreement, Morris canceled the submarine contract with France and the response of the European nation was immediate. Outraged in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron called his ambassadors in Canberra and Washington for consultations, in an unprecedented move, and accused Australia of concealing its intentions to withdraw from the contract.
On Saturday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian lashed out at the nations involved in the AUKUS. The politician said that the withdrawal of the Australian and US ambassadors for the first time was “very symbolic” and that the Canberra decision could have consequences for future NATO agreements.
“There have been lies, duplicity, a great breach of trust and contempt … This cannot be,” Le Drian told France 2 television channel.
Regarding the United Kingdom, the minister said that it was not necessary to call his ambassador for consultations and dedicated harsh words to the Anglo-Saxon nation.
“With the UK, it is not necessary. We know their constant opportunism. So there is no need to bring our ambassador to explain himself,” Le Drian said.
The manufacture of the ships was in the hands of the French company Grupo Naval, which in 2016 won against offers from Germany and Japan. The purchase of 12 conventional submarines was valued at about $ 40.00 billion
Scott Morrison assured that, a day before the formation of the AUKUS was made public, he called the French Government to report on the decision. The leader said he understood the disappointment of France, but defended his position: “I do not regret the decision to put the national interest of Australia first. I will never do it.”
For his part, Australian Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said he was confident that the diplomatic crisis would be resolved soon.
“We do not underestimate the importance of ensuring the reestablishment of strong ties with the French government and its counterparts in the future … Because their continued engagement in this region is important,” Birmingham said.
China’s growing influence, the background of AUKUS
The AUKUS alliance responds to the threat that Western nations see in China as a rival at strategic points in Asia, such as the Indo-Pacific. This, in addition to nuclear-powered submarines, includes sharing advanced technologies for cyber defense, artificial intelligence and long-range surveillance.
America’s involvement in the deal also sparked anger in France and what Le Drian called a “stab in the back.” In fact, the Frenchman compared the changes in political strategies of Joe Biden’s cabinet with those of the former Donald Trump Administration.
Something that, for the moment, seems to have stopped the rapprochement between Paris and Washington with the new Democratic government in its tracks. However, on Saturday State Department spokesman Ned Price stressed that the “unwavering” commitment of the United States to its alliance with France was maintained.
In addition to France, China has also clearly disagreed with the new security pact. Beijing called AUKUS extremely “irresponsible” for regional stability and said its signatories could end up “shooting themselves in the foot.”
But the truth is that Australia fears a vacuum in its defense capacity with the aging conventional submarines of the Collins class, manufactured in the oceanic country. Especially in the face of the growing Chinese influence in the South Sea, an area that Beijing has militarized and from which it claims almost all of its waters and islands.
With AFP, AP and EFE
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source https://pledgetimes.com/australia-denies-lying-about-its-intentions-towards-the-millionaire-contract-with-france/
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