Washington, Oct. 2 (BNA) US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken plans to travel to Paris as tensions escalate with France over a trade deal with Australia that caused Paris to lose a multi-billion euro submarine deal.
The US State Department said Friday that Blinken will chair the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council meeting and commemorate the organization’s 60th anniversary October 4-6.
Karen Dunfried, Europe’s top diplomat, admitted in a phone call with reporters on Friday that “better and more open consultations between allies” would have been helpful before the submarine crisis.
She expressed her understanding of the French position that rebuilding trust requires not only words, but also action.
Last month, the United States launched a new security pact with Australia and Britain for the Indo-Pacific region without consulting European allies, leading to a growing diplomatic crisis with France.
The agreement, known as AUKUS, caused France to lose 56 billion euros ($64.93 billion) due to the failure of a submarine deal with Australia.
Donfried said Blinken would emphasize the partnership with France during his visit. It is not known if he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron.
Blinken will meet with his French counterpart to continue discussions on strengthening the “vital relationship between the United States and France.” It is set to address a range of issues including not only the Indo-Pacific region but also the climate crisis and post-pandemic economic recovery.
On Thursday, Blinken is scheduled to travel to Mexico where he is scheduled to meet his Mexican counterpart and consider ways to improve the two countries’ strong bilateral relations, among other issues.