Aukus row: European Union demands apology from Australia over France’s treatment before trade talks
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison says he has had ‘no opportunity’ for talks with French president Emmanuel Macron
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison says a trade deal with the European Union is ‘not an easy thing to do’. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
The European Union is demanding answers – and an apology from Australia – over its treatment of France as the fallout from the Aukus announcement threatens to delay a key trade deal.
Australia’s hopes of entering into a free-trade agreement with the European Union hit rough waters with the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, demanding Australia explain its conduct in defence of EU member state France.
The Morrison government announced it was cancelling its $90bn submarine contract with the French and entering into a “forever partnership” with the United States and United Kingdom in a new agreement known as Aukus late last week.
The French claimed to have been “blindsided” by the announcement. Despite attempts to soothe the diplomatic row, the French recalled their ambassador and have asked the EU to reconsider Australia’s involvement in a free-trade deal with the EU.
While trade talks with Australia are expected to continue as planned, von der Leyen said Australia had some explaining to do first.
“One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable, so we want to know what happened and why,” von der Leyen said in an interview with CNN.
“Therefore, you first of all clarify that, before you keep on going with business as usual.”
The chair of the European Parliament’s committee on International Trade, Bernd Lange, continued that theme in an interview with the ABC on Tuesday.
“It is really an unkind situation France is faced with,” he said, adding that the he expected to see “some kind of apology, some kind of de-escalation of the situation, from the Australian government” to help for “better understanding”.
“The question of trust is now occurring, and some members could ask for more safety nets, for more safeguards,” he said.
European leaders will meet in New York to consider the response to the axing of the French deal in favour of the Aukus pact. The US president, Joe Biden, has asked for talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in an attempt to mend relations. The French have agreed to a phone conversation in the coming days.
The European Union is demanding answers – and an apology from Australia – over its treatment of France as the fallout from the Aukus announcement threatens to delay a key trade deal.
Australia’s hopes of entering into a free-trade agreement with the European Union hit rough waters with the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, demanding Australia explain its conduct in defence of EU member state France.
The Morrison government announced it was cancelling its $90bn submarine contract with the French and entering into a “forever partnership” with the United States and United Kingdom in a new agreement known as Aukus late last week.
The French claimed to have been “blindsided” by the announcement. Despite attempts to soothe the diplomatic row, the French recalled their ambassador and have asked the EU to reconsider Australia’s involvement in a free-trade deal with the EU.
While trade talks with Australia are expected to continue as planned, von der Leyen said Australia had some explaining to do first.
“One of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable, so we want to know what happened and why,” von der Leyen said in an interview with CNN.
“Therefore, you first of all clarify that, before you keep on going with business as usual.”
The chair of the European Parliament’s committee on International Trade, Bernd Lange, continued that theme in an interview with the ABC on Tuesday.
“It is really an unkind situation France is faced with,” he said, adding that the he expected to see “some kind of apology, some kind of de-escalation of the situation, from the Australian government” to help for “better understanding”.
“The question of trust is now occurring, and some members could ask for more safety nets, for more safeguards,” he said.
European leaders will meet in New York to consider the response to the axing of the French deal in favour of the Aukus pact. The US president, Joe Biden, has asked for talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in an attempt to mend relations. The French have agreed to a phone conversation in the coming days.
France tries to delay EU-Australia trade deal amid Aukus fallout
Scott Morrison, who is in New York ahead of his first meeting with Biden, said there was “no opportunity at this time” for his own talks with Macron.
“I’m sure that opportunity will come in time,” he said from New York. “Right now I understand the disappointment and they’re working through the consultations with their ambassador’s return to Paris and we’ll be patient with that.”
Morrison said he took heart from European Commission foreign affairs head Josep Borrell’s comments to “not mix apples and pears” last week, when it came to Australia’s involvement in the EU free-trade agreement.
“I think that’s a pretty good summary of the situation,” he said.
“I mean, these issues will be worked through in the weeks and months ahead. It’s not an easy thing to do, to get an agreement with the European Union on trade, I think everyone understands that.”
While French anger continues to simmer, Australia’s diplomats have been working overtime to reassure Australia’s partners in the Indo-Pacific the Aukus deal will not affect the region.
Morrison spoke with the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, on his way to New York to “assure him of Indonesia’s key areas of interest” including that Australia would “maintain all of our obligations under the non-proliferation treaty and the nuclear non-proliferation regime” and that the Aukus agreement “would contribute to peace and stability and a strategic balance in the region”. Australia will send a team to Indonesia to issue further briefings on what the new strategic agreement will mean.
The phone call came on the back of the Australia’s ambassador to Asean sending a statement to south-east Asian nations reiterating Australia’s commitment to Asean goals, while reiterating Aukus was not “a defence alliance or pact”.
Scott Morrison, who is in New York ahead of his first meeting with Biden, said there was “no opportunity at this time” for his own talks with Macron.
“I’m sure that opportunity will come in time,” he said from New York. “Right now I understand the disappointment and they’re working through the consultations with their ambassador’s return to Paris and we’ll be patient with that.”
Morrison said he took heart from European Commission foreign affairs head Josep Borrell’s comments to “not mix apples and pears” last week, when it came to Australia’s involvement in the EU free-trade agreement.
“I think that’s a pretty good summary of the situation,” he said.
“I mean, these issues will be worked through in the weeks and months ahead. It’s not an easy thing to do, to get an agreement with the European Union on trade, I think everyone understands that.”
While French anger continues to simmer, Australia’s diplomats have been working overtime to reassure Australia’s partners in the Indo-Pacific the Aukus deal will not affect the region.
Morrison spoke with the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, on his way to New York to “assure him of Indonesia’s key areas of interest” including that Australia would “maintain all of our obligations under the non-proliferation treaty and the nuclear non-proliferation regime” and that the Aukus agreement “would contribute to peace and stability and a strategic balance in the region”. Australia will send a team to Indonesia to issue further briefings on what the new strategic agreement will mean.
The phone call came on the back of the Australia’s ambassador to Asean sending a statement to south-east Asian nations reiterating Australia’s commitment to Asean goals, while reiterating Aukus was not “a defence alliance or pact”.
Did Europe ever say thank you to Oz for sacrificing tens of thousands of their soldiers who died fighting in Europe in WW1 and 2. Many are buried in The Somme, Frenchie land.
ReplyDeleteDid 5000 yo Bully ever say thank you to the thousands of Ozzie soldiers who fought the Cruel and Zalim Yapanese in the Pacific in WW2, eventually helping to defeat them and liberating Bullyland?
Aussies died in Europe for Mother England, and in the Pacific for Yanks and also out of hatred for Japs
DeleteThis blurred mfer has ran out of c&p fart to brighten up it's boring daily routine!
DeleteThus, the regurgitation of old lies!
So did Ozzie soldiers help kick out the Germans/Nazis from New York USA or London Britannia?
DeleteUSA or Britannia were never occupied. France was.
Fact is Ozzie soldiers helped kick out the Germans/Nazis who were occupying France. Frenchie was liberated.
But 5000 yo Bully was well and truly occupied by the Cruel and Zalim Yapanese, they lopped off the heads of pretty Nanjing mothers carrying babies.
Please show that masthead again as ukangkaji.
My Ulangkaji Lesson For Today. Baca Dan Faham Baik Baik.
DeleteFrenchie president say "WE WILL NOT FORGET - NEVER"
QUOTE
Emotional Hollande pays WWI tribute
Nov 19, 2014
"We will not forget - never."
So said an emotional French President Francois Hollande at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Wednesday.
Mr Hollande, the first French head of state to visit Australia, paid tribute to the country's role and sacrifice in World War I a century ago.
More than 410,000 Australian soldiers fought in the WWI with an estimated 61,000 casualties.
"France will never forget the Diggers, those who fought in Somme, in Flanders, they fought for their country, for our country, and for freedom," Mr Hollande said through a translator.
French troops fought alongside Australian forces at Gallipoli and three years later allied forces re-took the village of Villers-Bretonneux "where they left an indelible print".
The 1918 second battle of Villers-Bretonneux is considered a turning point in the war, but came at the loss of 1200 Australians.
UNQUOTE
Barely THREE YEARS Ago.....
Deletehttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-25/french-pm-pays-tribute-to-brave-australian-soldiers/9695508
QUOTE
Anzac Day: Emotions run high as French PM pays tribute to diggers at Sir John Monash Centre opening
By Europe correspondent Lisa Millar
25 Apr 2018
French Prime Minister pays tribute to fallen Anzacs
....French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe deliver(ed) words so beautiful and evocative.....they forced a collective intake of breath.
He spoke for what seemed like just minutes, but hearts momentarily stopped and eyes welled up.
"I could not help thinking of the terrible loneliness which these thousands of young Australians must have felt as their young lives were cut short in a foreign country," Mr Philippe said.
"A foreign country. A faraway country. A cold country whose earth had neither the colour nor texture of their native bush."
He spoke in French with English subtitles on a screen behind him racing to keep up with his words.
It did not matter that the vast majority in the crowd did not speak his language.
Simply reading his speech was powerful enough to bring people to tears.
In this region where Australia and its allies are hailed as saviours, Mr Philippe began his speech with the words of a German, written by another German — in the famous war novel All Quiet on the Western Front.
"He is entirely alone now with his little life of 19 years, and cries because it leaves him," he said.
Millions from both sides of the war witnessed horrors. But it is the Australians for whom the French feel so much debt.
Mr Philippe paid tribute to the Australian soldiers who defended the French land they held inch-by-inch, "as if it were their own country".
"And it is their own country," he said.
"For many young Australians, this earth was their final safe place.
"For many of them, this earth was the final confidante of a thought or a word intended for a loved one from the other side of the world.
"Loved ones who would only learn the sad news several months later."
Mr Philippe, who became France's Prime Minister with the election of President Emmanuel Macron, is a keen student of history and spoke about moments in the battles around Villers-Bretonneux that resonated with him.
"We cannot relive these stories," he said.
"The mud, the rats, the lice, the gas, the shellfire, the fallen comrades — we can never truly imagine what it was like.
"So we must tell them. We must show them — again and again.
"Show the faces of these young men whose lives were snuffed out in the mud of the trenches.
"Show the daily lives of these 20-year-old volunteers from far away who listened only to their youthful courage, to their love for their country, or that of their parents or grandparents, to die here in Villers-Bretonneux.
"Show it with the help of modern technology, without taking our eyes off the names etched onto the memorial — names which are real, not virtual.
"We will never forget that 100 years ago, a young and brave nation on the other side of the world made history by writing our history.
"Lest we forget."
UNQUOTE
Apologies, I was wrong....it would appear Frenchie President and Prime Minister said THANK YOU to Ozzies many times.
Delete"... well and truly occupied by the Cruel and Zalim Yapanese"
Deletedon't tokkok lah, you don't know history yet attempt tp pose as a history expert - podah
Wakakakakaka…
DeleteThis tong sampan mfer has confused the legal status of Australia under pommie rules!
Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia.
But … but…
Australia became officially autonomous in both internal and external affairs with the passage of the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act on 9 October 1942. The Australia Act 1986 eliminated the last vestiges of British legal authority at the Federal level.
In fact, The Australia Act 1986 is the short title of each of a pair of separate but related pieces of legislation: one an Act of the Commonwealth (i.e. federal) Parliament of Australia, the other an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In Australia they are referred to, respectively, as the Australia Act 1986 (Cth)[n 1] and the Australia Act 1986 (UK). These nearly identical Acts were passed by the two parliaments, because of uncertainty as to whether the Commonwealth Parliament alone had the ultimate authority to do so. They were enacted using legislative powers conferred by enabling Acts passed by the parliaments of every Australian state. The Acts came into effect simultaneously, on 3 March 1986.
So, AGAIN, when did WWII begin & end?
What was the legal status of Australia then if not a subservient 'independent colony' of pommieland?
Those Ozzie soldiers died for that jingoistic "king & country"!
Ooop… don't forget to do a search in the Oz military archive about the mentioning of this phase in all the memorial statements!
In the war memorial of THE CENOTAPH (nowadays not just for unknown soldiers of WWI but all wars that UK engaged in) - to commemorate the dying soldiers from all territories of the empire - THEY DIED FOR THE KING & COUNTRY!
Blurred mfer, do more of yr f*cked c&p his-story - just for a laugh of yr know-nothingness!