Paris, Sept. 18 (BNA) France, America’s oldest ally, recalled its ambassador to the United States on Friday in an unprecedented display of anger that dwarfed decades of previous divisions.
The relationship that emerged in the revolutions of the 18th century emerged at a turning point after the United States, Australia and Britain avoided France in creating a new security arrangement between the Indo-Pacific, the Associated Press reports.
It was the first time ever that France recalled its ambassador to the United States, according to the French Foreign Ministry. Paris also recalled its envoy to Australia.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a written statement that the French decision, at the request of President Emmanuel Macron, was “justified by the exceptional seriousness of the declarations” made by Australia and the United States.
He said Australia’s decision to cancel a major French deal to buy a conventional submarine in favor of nuclear submarines built using US technology was “unacceptable behavior between allies and partners”.
Ambassador Philip Etienne tweeted that the announcements “directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, partnerships, and the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to Europe.”
National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said the Biden administration is in close contact with French officials about the decision to recall Etienne to Paris.
“We understand their position and will continue to engage in the coming days to resolve our differences as we have done at other points throughout our long alliance,” she said in a statement. “France is our oldest ally and one of our strongest partners, with a long history of shared democratic values and a commitment to working together to tackle global challenges.”
US State Department spokesman Ned Price also stressed the value the United States places on its relationship with France and expressed hope that talks between the two sides will continue in the coming days, including at the UN General Assembly next week.
However, for the first time since taking office in 2017, Macron will not make a speech at the annual meeting of world leaders. Instead, Le Drian will deliver the French address.
The Australian government has expressed its regret at France’s decision to recall its ambassador to that country.
“Australia understands France’s deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with its clear and stated national security interests,” the office of Secretary of State Marie Payne said in a statement. He added that Australia values its relationship with France and looks forward to future engagements together.
The decision to recall the ambassador represented a shocking turnaround for France under Macron, who — after an increasingly bitter relationship with former President Donald Trump — warmly clasped hands with Biden at the G7 summit in June and asserted that “America is back.”
Macron has not yet commented on the issue. The impeachment is his boldest foreign policy move yet during a four-year presidency, during which he has sought to bolster France’s diplomatic footprint and role in European policymaking, and to rally France’s neighbors around his vision of a Europe less dependent on the US military. Umbrella.
France has been pushing for several years for a European strategy to strengthen economic, political, and defense ties in a region that stretches from India and China to Japan and New Zealand. This week, the European Union unveiled its plan for the Indo-Pacific region.
Earlier on Friday, a senior French diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with customary government practices, said Macron had received a letter from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday morning announcing the decision to cancel the submarine deal.
Then French officials decided to reach out to the US administration “to ask what’s going on,” he said. He added that discussions with Washington took place only two to three hours before Biden’s public announcement.
On Thursday, Le Drian expressed a “complete lack of understanding” of the move and criticized both Australia and the United States
“It was really a stab in the back. We have built a relationship of trust with Australia, and that trust has been betrayed. ‘This is not done between allies.’”
He also compared Biden’s move to Trump’s “America First” move.
The French diplomat said that Paris raised the issue of the Indo-Pacific strategy during the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Paris on June 25, expressing the importance of the submarine program with Australia.
“We said it was for us a very important and critical component of our Indo-Pacific strategy,” he said. Blinken met Macron during the visit.
The French diplomat said Australia had never mentioned to France its desire to switch to nuclear-powered submarines, including during a meeting between Macron and Morrison in Paris on June 15.
The recall of ambassadors is very unusual among allied nations.
In 2019, Paris recalled its envoy to neighboring Italy after the country’s leaders made public statements criticizing the French government. Last year, France recalled its ambassador to Turkey after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Macron needed psychotherapy.