French submarines: Australia will pay 555 million euros in compensation to Naval Group

The Australian government will pay Naval Group 555 million euros to seal the breach of what was called the contract of the century.

(Illustrative image) Reuters/路透社

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The submarine affair comes to its epilogue: the Australian government will pay Naval Group 555 million euros to seal the breach of what was called the “contract of the century”.

A contract broken last September for the benefit of the United States and Great Britain, with which Australia is now engaged in the Aukus security alliance, without France with which the new Australian Prime Minister hopes despite everything to bury the ax of war.

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For Australia, which

Paris

had accused of having stabbed him in the back, the time has come to pay a fine, i.e. 555 million euros to settle the breach of a contract which should have bring in 50 billion.

This is the amount announced this Saturday, June 11 by the new Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese who believes that “ 

it is a fair and equitable settlement 

”, reports our correspondent in Sydney, Grégory Plesse.

If he does not question the Aukus pact, or the choice to opt for nuclear-powered submarines, rather than the conventional ones that

Naval Group

was to deliver , Anthony Albanese nevertheless wishes to restore a cordial relationship with France, a partner he considers major in the Indo-Pacific.

“ 

France is an important ally, with whom we fought in two world wars, and it is a very present ally in the Pacific, at a time when tensions are rising in this region.

We have to work with our partners

.

»

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To read also

: After the submarine crisis, France is looking for its place in the Indo-Pacific

In total, Australian taxpayers will pay 2.2 billion euros for submarines they will never see the color of.

►

To read also

: Aukus Pact, after submarines, cooperation on hypersonic missiles

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