Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that he understands France’s disappointment with Australia’s withdrawal of the purchase of French submarines and the alternative agreements reached with the United States and the United Kingdom; at this time, Australia’s new agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom triggered Multilateral diplomatic crisis.
Although Morrison understood the “disappointment” of France, he made it clear that Australia needs to protect its own interests.
Morrison said at the press conference, “Of course, the French government is very disappointed, so I understand their disappointment, but at the same time, Australia, like any sovereign country, must always make decisions that are in the interests of its national defense.”
At the same time, the Minister of Defense stated that Australia has maintained a “frank, open and honest” attitude towards concerns over the purchase of French submarines.
Australia abandoned its 2016 agreement with the French Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and announced a plan on Thursday to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines using technology from the United States and the United Kingdom in a tripartite security partnership s plan.
The move angered France, an ally of the United States and the United Kingdom in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and prompted it to recall its ambassadors in Washington and Canberra. The move also angered China, the emerging power of the Indo-Pacific.
The deal has plunged the United States and France into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis. Analysts say it may permanently damage the alliance between the United States and France and Europe. It also triggers the opposition to President Joe Biden’s government seeking to establish unity against an increasingly powerful China. Questioning the front.
Special European strategy
On the other hand, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian revealed that the Europeans decided three days ago to adopt their own strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.
He said that in response to the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom’s announcement of the establishment of a strategic partnership, France is reassessing its position on allies.
In an interview with French Channel 2, Le Drian added that the submarine incident was a “serious crisis that will affect NATO’s future” and called on NATO to carefully consider this crisis.
U.S. and Australia accused of lying
The French minister accused Australia and the United States of lying, and accused the United Kingdom of always adopting opportunism.
French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thibaud told reporters in Canberra before heading to Paris today, “I think this is a serious mistake and a very bad treatment of the (France-Australia) partnership because it is not a Contracts, but partnerships that should be based on trust, honesty and mutual understanding.”
Thibault added that he deeply regrets leaving Australia, but believes that it is necessary to reassess the bilateral relationship.
In other statements to local radio stations, Thibault stated that “this is not the sale of salads or potatoes, but a relationship of the highest level of trust, covering the highest degree of confidentiality and sensitive issues.”
Earlier, France described the cancellation of the $40 billion deal reached in 2016 as a “stabbing in the back”.
The submarine crisis became the biggest dispute after the French-Australian crisis in 1995, when Australia protested against Paris’s decision to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific and summoned its ambassador for consultations.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to be sending a message to the allies today, saying that France and India have agreed to develop a plan to establish a “true multilateral international order.”
The ministry added in a statement that Minister Ludrian and Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaishank Son agreed by phone to strengthen the strategic partnership “based on the political trust relationship between the two sovereign powers in the Indo-Pacific region”.
(Al Jazeera)Malaysian concerns
Malaysia is concerned that Australia’s nuclear submarine program may lead to a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement: “This will inspire other forces to take more radical measures in the region, especially in the South China Sea.”
The statement did not mention China, but China’s foreign policy in the region is very tough, especially with regard to the resource-rich South China Sea claims, some of which conflict with those of Malaysia.
Malaysia urges all parties to avoid any provocative actions in the region and avoid any form of arms race.
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