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As part of the agreement Australia committed to building nuclear submarines with US/UK help, ending a previous order with a French company.
This move sparked furious reaction in Paris, with the French foreign minister branding it a “stab in the back”.
The BBC’s Jon Sopel tweeted: “Can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but: France is recalling its ambassador to the US and to Australia over submarine deal and #AUKUS agreement.
“For such close allies, this is an extraordinary step.”
In a statement the French foreign minister said: “At the request of the President of the Republic, I have decided to immediately recall our two ambassadors to the United States and Australia to Paris for consultations.
“This exceptional decision is justified by the exceptional gravity of the announcements made on 15 September by Australia and the United States.
“The abandonment of the ocean-going class submarine project that had linked Australia to France since 2016, and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States aimed at launching studies on a possible future cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines, constitute unacceptable behaviour between allies and partners, the consequences of which affect the very conception we have of our alliances, our partnerships and the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe.”
More to follow…
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