Paris: France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia to convey its anger over a deal forged in secrecy that saw Paris lose a multi billion dollar submarine contract.
While France and the US have at times been at odds on global affairs, including over the Iraq War in 2003, Paris has never gone so far as to remove its envoy to Washington, according to senior French diplomats who declined to speculate how long the envoys would be gone.
The decision comes two days after Australia’s Scott Morrison unveiled plans to buy nuclear-powered submarines in a joint announcement with U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The new partnership effectively scuppered Australia’s 2016 deal with French shipbuilder Naval Group to build as many as 12 conventional submarines in a project that had gone over budget but seemed secure.
