The treatment reserved for France by Australia, in the context of the Alliance with the United States and the United Kingdom, is "unacceptable" and the case requires a deep analysis, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Limen said, to the CNN network.
"One of our member states has been treated in an unacceptable way. We want to know what happened and why," said Von der Limen, in reference to the cancellation of a multi-millionaire submarine contract between France and Australia.
The announcement of the new military alliance that joins Washington, London and Canberra became an important diplomatic problem since the EU, an ally, was never informed about what the three countries were negotiating.
In addition, the announcement of this new AUKUS alliance was scheduled for the same day when the EU was scheduled to present its new strategy for the Indo-Pacific region.
However, the most devastating effect was the sudden announcement of Australia to break a contract by submarines with France, in an agreement of extreme complexity that included the transfer of a technology that constitutes a jealously guarded military secret.
The case is such gravity that European Chancellors who are in New York for the UN General Assembly will dedicate their meeting in that city to discuss the scope and consequences of the new military alliance and the situation of France.
In statements to the CNN network, Von der Limen added that it will be necessary to clarify what happened "before we continue with business as well as habit".
France reached the point of calling for consultations to its ambassadors in the United States and Australia, a gesture of high gravity in the diplomatic environment, to evidence the enormous irritation at what happened.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, agreed to maintain a telephone interview with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to clarify the situation, in a call that must occur "in the coming days", according to a spokesman for the Government of France.
At the same time, an expected meeting for this week between the French Minister of Defense, Florence Parly, and its British pair, Ben Wallace, was annulled by France, a source of the Galo Ministry told AFP.
Date Of Update: 21 September 2021, 00:37
