France Withdraws US And Australian Ambassadors Following Nuclear Submarine Cooperation

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (Photo: @JY_LeDrian)

JAKARTA - France recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia, Friday, September 17. This is a sign of an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between Paris, Washington DC and Canberra.

The move follows a trilateral security deal that led to the cancellation of a $40 billion contract to buy French-designed submarines by Australia in 2016.

This decision was taken by French President Emmanuel Macron, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement.

On Thursday, September 16, Australia said it would scrap a $40 billion deal with the French Navy on the construction of a conventional submarine fleet and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with US and UK technology after reaching a trilateral security partnership.

The French call this the term 'stabbing in the back'. Le Drian said the deal was unacceptable.

"The abandonment of the submarine project ... and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States aimed at launching a new study for possible future nuclear propulsion cooperation is unacceptable behavior among allies," he said in a statement on Friday.

"The consequences touch on the concepts we have about our alliances, our partnerships and the importance of the Indo-Pacific to Europe."

A White House official said the United States regretted France's decision and said Washington had been in close contact with France for a long time.

According to him, the US will try to resolve the dispute with France over the coming days.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed to have raised the possibility of canceling the submarine contract with France in talks with President Macron last June.

"I made it very clear, we had a long dinner in Paris, about our very significant concerns about the ability of conventional submarines to deal with the new strategic environment we face," Morrison told 5aa Radio.

"I made it very clear that this is an issue that Australia needs to take up in our national interest," he said.