Submarine affair: Biden and Macron promise to restore "confidence"
Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden on June 12, 2021 during a bilateral meeting (photo illustration).
REUTERS - KEVIN LAMARQUE
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden promised Wednesday September 22, during a telephone call, to restore confidence between France and the United States after the crisis of the Australian submarines, which could have been avoided by "
open consultations
" upstream, according to a joint statement from the Elysee and the White House.
Advertising
Read more
“
Open consultations between allies on questions of strategic interest to France and European partners would have made it possible to avoid this situation.
President Biden has expressed his enduring commitment to this
, ”the statement read.
Consequently, the two American and French heads of state, who will meet "
in Europe at the end of
October", have "
decided to launch a process of in-depth consultations aimed at putting in place the conditions guaranteeing confidence and to propose concrete measures to achieve common objectives
”.
In this context of appeasement,
the French ambassador to the United States
, Philippe Etienne, will return to Washington "
next week
", Emmanuel Macron decided.
"Strategic importance"
Paris announced Friday the recall of the ambassadors to the United States and Australia, an unprecedented decision vis-à-vis two historic allies, after the torpedoing of a mega-contract of French submarines in Canberra.
Joe Biden also affirmed that it was "
necessary for European defense to be stronger and more efficient
" to contribute to transatlantic security and complete "
the role of NATO
".
The United States "
reaffirms that the engagement of France and the European Union in the Indo-Pacific region is of strategic importance
", adds the press release issued six days after the
outbreak of
the most serious
diplomatic crisis
between the states -Unis and France since the French “no” to the Iraq war in 2003.
(
With AFP
)
Presidents @EmmanuelMacron and @JoeBiden spoke today.
Find the joint press release: https: //t.co/bqVKtCeuv9
- Elysee (@Elysee) September 22, 2021
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
France
United States
Emmanuel Macron
Joe biden