President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron plan to meet in Europe in late October “in order to reach shared understandings and maintain momentum” following the AUKUS nuclear submarine announcement, the White House announced Wednesday afternoon.
According to White House officials, Biden and Macron spoke for the first time by phone on Wednesday since the joint announcement by the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom on Sept. 15.
FRANCE RECALLS AMBASSADOR FROM WASHINGTON AMID SUB SNUB
The White House noted that Biden requested Wednesday’s phone call “in order to discuss the implications of the announcement.”
“The two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners. President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard,” the readout added. “The two leaders have decided to open a process of in-depth consultations, aimed at creating the conditions for ensuring confidence and proposing concrete measures toward common objectives. They will meet in Europe at the end of October in order to reach shared understandings and maintain momentum in this process.”
Furthermore, the White House announced that Macron, after recalling the French ambassador in retaliation for the AUKUS announcement, “has decided that the French Ambassador will return to Washington next week. He will then start intensive work with senior US officials.”
“President Biden reaffirms the strategic importance of French and European engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the framework of the European Union’s recently published strategy for the Indo-Pacific. The United States also recognizes the importance of a stronger and more capable European defense, that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to NATO,” the readout concluded. “In the framework of their joint fight against terrorism, the United States commits to reinforcing its support to counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel conducted by European states.”
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Macron and other French officials were highly critical of the AUKUS announcement. In addition to recalling ambassadors, France claimed that the AUKUS deal led to billions in lost revenue, as it would supplant a 2016 submarine contract Australia had reached with France.
