In what appears to be a damage control exercise, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that the United States welcomes European countries to be playing an important role in the Indo-Pacific, while also saying that France in particular is a vital partner.
Blinken was speaking at a news conference after meetings between the U.S. and Australian foreign and defense ministers in Washington. This was a day after the United States and Britain said they would provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. This would replace a French submarine deal with Australia.
“We cooperate incredibly closely with France on many shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific but also beyond around the world. We’re going to continue to do so. We place fundamental value on that relationship, on that partnership,” Blinken said.
The signing of the security partnership between US-UK and Australia saw the scrapping of a $40 billion French-designed submarine deal.
France reacted angrily to the loss of the deal, calling it a “stab in the back.
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Blinken further asserted that US officials had been in touch with their French counterparts to discuss the deal including before the announcement.
However, a French official on condition of anonymity was quoted telling Reuters that Americans had not informed them until French officials had seen media reports about the deal.
