Skip to main content

AUCKUS: Biden admits of a ‘clumsy’ pact that rifted Paris and Washington

President Joe Biden of the United States of America met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday at France’s Vatican Embassy in Rome ahead of the G20 summit of world leaders scheduled for this weekend. President Biden took on this opportunity to mend relations between the two nations that saw the worst of light in aftermath of AUCKUS deal. 

Also read :The Two Forces at Work on the Biden-Netanyahu Phone Call

AUCKUS, the pact between the USA, Australia, and the UK was formed to tackle going presence of China in the Indo-Pacific region. Under the deal, the US offered to share its nuclear technology with Australia, which earlier was only shared with the UK. This led to the falling out of a $66 billion submarine deal between Australia and France to build six diesel-powered submarines. The AUCKUS security and technology pact left France blindsided, and feeling betrayed and humiliated at hands of Australia. The September deal also left sore relations between US and France. 

Also read :A Matter of Identity: How Iran Views the US Election Through a Lens of Sanctions and Diplomacy

During the bilateral meeting that went over an hour at Villa Bonaparte (the French embassy to the Vatican), Biden inferred that he was under impression that Australia had already informed France of the submarine contract being canceled. “I was under the impression that France had been informed long before, that the [French] deal was not going through,” he said. This might also imply that either staff members at the White House failed to communicate about the submarine contract status or Australia had misled Washington about the status. “The answer is – I think what happened was to use an English phrase … clumsy, it was not done with a lot of grace,” Biden said. 

The meeting between the two leaders is said to be quite successful. Biden vowed to support France’s counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel. Macron and Biden have welcomed a bilateral clean energy partnership, affirmed the NATO capability, and strengthened cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Also read :Biden Urges De-escalation as Israel Intensifies Strikes on Lebanon

The Elysee said the French-US leaders’ meeting “set a very high level of ambition for relations between the EU and the US, with a strong emphasis on security and defense”. The reconciliation between Paris and Washington might have healed many sores of the former led by AUCKUS pact, but still, a lot is left to be mended. Like Macron said after the meeting, “Trust is like love: Declarations are good, but the proof is better.” 

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bangladesh Military Expresses Discontent Over Chinese Weapons; Reports 'Sub-Standard' and Faulty Parts

  Bangladesh, a traditional buyer of Chinese military equipment, has raised grievances with Beijing regarding the delivery of defective components and technical malfunctions in its imported military hardware. This issue is not unique to Bangladesh, as other nations like Myanmar have also encountered problems with Chinese fighter jets, according to an ET report. Experts in the Chinese defense industry argue that Beijing lacks the expertise to manufacture highly sophisticated military hardware and is not yet considered a top-tier producer of modern defense equipment. They claim that much of China's weapon systems are based on outdated technology copied from the West. Developing countries often opt for Chinese weapons due to their lower cost compared to similar systems from Western countries. China sells arms through state-run export organizations like the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), NORINCO, and CVIC. Sources familiar with the matter told ET that the Bangladesh mil...
Post a Comment
Read more

Exposing How the Muslim Brotherhood Fuels Instability Behind a Political Facade

  The Muslim Brotherhood started in Egypt during 1928 since then it has portrayed itself as a combination of political organization and social movement working for Islamic values and governance. jinakata the Brotherhood displays an intricate web that connects extremist concepts and violent deeds which produce regional turmoil. The Ideological Foundations The Brotherhood bases its ideology upon the teachings of Hassan al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb. Extremist groups obtain their core beliefs from the writings specifically authored by Qutb. The Brotherhood's concept of jihad for creating an Islamic state has directly inspired al-Qaeda and ISIS to establish their extremist agendas thus creating a direct link between those groups and the movement. Historical Links to Extremism Over and above its philosophical standards The Brotherhood maintains extensive power. Notably: Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden developed extremist beliefs because he learned Brotherhood religious doctrine in his early...
Post a Comment
Read more

Unmasking the Muslim Brotherhood: A Call for Global Awareness

  Jordanian authorities successfully dismantled a terrorist group associated with the Muslim Brotherhood which caused discussions regarding the organization's contributions to regional instability. The incident emphasizes the necessity of a new assessment process to understand how the world views and classifies the organization. A  Legacy of Extremism The Muslim Brotherhood established its operations in Egypt during 1928 and remains a disputed organization to this day. Numerous confirmed links between the organization and extremist activities arise while it claims to be a socio-political movement. Egypt established the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization under state law in 2013 due to its active participation in national acts of violence and attempted toppling of the government. Counter Extremism Project A systematic evaluation of the Muslim Brotherhood proves that its ideology serves as inspiration to various terrorist groups. The Counter Extremism Project  verifies...
Post a Comment
Read more