France say dem dey recall dia ambassadors for US and Australia for consultations, in protest against one security deal wey also include di UK.
Di French foreign minister say di “exceptional decision” dey justified by di situation “exceptional gravity”.
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Di deal wey dem tag Aukus, go make Australia get di technology to build nuclear-powered submarines.
Dis move vex France as e spoil one multibillion-dollar deal dem bin don sign with Australia.
Di agreement na something wey dey widely seen as effort to counter China influence for di ogbonge South China Sea. Na on Wednesday US President Joe Biden, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and im Australian counterpart Scott Morrison announce am.
France get informate of di alliance only hours before dem make di public announcement.
Inside statement late on Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, wey describe di deal as a “stab in di back”, say dem dey recall di ambassadors at di request of President Emmanuel Macron.
Di deal “make up unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners wey di consequences directly affect di vision we get of our alliances, of our partnerships and of di importance of di Indo-Pacific for Europe”, Mr Le Drian tok.
One White House official say di Biden administration regret di move and go engage with France in di coming days to resolve dia differences.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne also tok for Washington say she understand di “disappointment” in France and hope to work with di kontri to ensure say dem understood “di value we place on di bilateral relationship”.
A recall of ambassadors no dey common between allies, and e dey believed to be di first time France don recall envoys from di two kontries. French diplomats for Washington bin don already cancel one event to celebrate ties between di US and France wey bin dey scheduled for Friday.
No be about di money, but prestige
For di Elysée for Paris, dem dey concerned say for Washington, Canberra and London officials dey underestimate and misinterpret French anger – wey no be about di loss of di submarine contract per se, but about di way France – allied nation with presence for di Pacific – dey cut out of di picture inside di secret talks between di three English-speaking kontries.
Dat na why President Macron last night order for di recall for consultations of di two ambassadors: to show say from France perspective dis na very big deal indeed, and say e raise questions about di purpose of di relationship with America, Australia and, indeed, di UK – though France no recall dia ambassador to London.
Dis deal mean say Australia go become just di seventh nation in di world to operate nuclear-powered submarines. E go also make di allies share cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence and oda undersea technologies.
Di announcement end a deal wey worth $37bn (£27bn) wey France bin don sign with Australia for 2016 to build 12 conventional submarines. China meanwhile accuse di three powers wey dey involved for di pact say dem get “Cold War mentality”.
