France-UK defence meeting sinks amid submarine row
Australia’s decision to tear up a contract with France in favour of US subs sparked outrage in Paris last week. (AP pic)
PARIS: France has cancelled a meeting set for this week between its Defence Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace, a source at her ministry told AFP yesterday.
PARIS: France has cancelled a meeting set for this week between its Defence Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace, a source at her ministry told AFP yesterday.
The move comes after the US, Australia and the UK sparked a full-blown diplomatic crisis with France by announcing a strategic partnership under which US nuclear submarines will be supplied to Australia, effectively sidelining France.
The “meeting planned for this week in London … will not take place due to the French cancelling”, said the ministry source.
Australia’s decision to tear up a contract to buy French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels sparked outrage in Paris last week.
In an unprecedented move, French President Emmanuel Macron recalled France’s ambassadors to Canberra and Washington.
In London, a defence ministry source said they could neither confirm nor deny the cancellation of the meeting, but added: “The UK remains in conversation with our French counterparts about the meetings.
“We continue to have a strong and close-working defence partnership with France, as they remain trusted allies of the UK and we continue to work with France in many equipment and operational domains.”
The French contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia was worth A$50 billion when signed in 2016.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has described the snub to France as a “stab in the back”.
The behaviour of US President Joe Biden’s administration had been comparable to that of Donald Trump, whose sudden changes in policy long exasperated European allies, he added.
“There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt,” Le Drian told France 2 television on Saturday.
Britain, he dismissed as the “third wheel” in the US-Anglo-Australian partnership.
The “meeting planned for this week in London … will not take place due to the French cancelling”, said the ministry source.
Australia’s decision to tear up a contract to buy French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels sparked outrage in Paris last week.
In an unprecedented move, French President Emmanuel Macron recalled France’s ambassadors to Canberra and Washington.
In London, a defence ministry source said they could neither confirm nor deny the cancellation of the meeting, but added: “The UK remains in conversation with our French counterparts about the meetings.
“We continue to have a strong and close-working defence partnership with France, as they remain trusted allies of the UK and we continue to work with France in many equipment and operational domains.”
The French contract to supply conventional submarines to Australia was worth A$50 billion when signed in 2016.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has described the snub to France as a “stab in the back”.
The behaviour of US President Joe Biden’s administration had been comparable to that of Donald Trump, whose sudden changes in policy long exasperated European allies, he added.
“There has been lying, duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt,” Le Drian told France 2 television on Saturday.
Britain, he dismissed as the “third wheel” in the US-Anglo-Australian partnership.
No sudden backstabbing.
ReplyDeleteBut the time the deal died last week, the original $ 46 Billion had had ballooned to $ 96 Billion in costs overruns.
The Aussies were deeply unhappy, but the Frogs weren't listening, assuming the Aussies had no choice but to continue.
Now they know.
So sad you only put a bad light on the French. The reality of cost runaway has been the Aussies continuously changing the specs on an already ready sub
DeleteIt Was a Long Time Coming but...."Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"
ReplyDeleteUp Yours Frenchie...Second Class French citizens of Polynesia can say "Merci beaucoup" to Ozzies.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210309-french-nuclear-tests-infected-almost-entire-polynesian-population-report
QUOTE
French nuclear tests infected 'almost entire Polynesian population': report
Issued on: 09/03/2021
(AFP)
France concealed the levels of radioactivity that French Polynesia was exposed to during French nuclear tests in the Pacific from 1966-1996, with almost the "entire population" of the overseas territory infected, a report said on Tuesday.
Online investigation site Disclose said it had over two years analysed some 2,000 pages of French military documents declassified in 2013 by the defence ministry concerning nuclear tests on the archipelago.
It worked alongside the British modelling and documentation firm Interprt as well as the Science and global security programme of the University of Princeton in the United States, it said.
For the Centaur test carried out in July 1974, "according to our calculations, based on a scientific reassessment of the doses received, approximately 110,000 people were infected, almost the entire Polynesian population at the time," it said.
Using the modelling of toxic clouds to back up the findings, Disclose said it also showed how "French authorities have concealed the true impact of nuclear testing on the health of Polynesians for more than 50 years."
It said the investigation was able to reassess the thyroid exposure to radioactive doses of the inhabitants of the Gambier Islands, Tureia and Tahiti during the six nuclear tests considered to be the most contaminating in the history of French tests in the Pacific.
"Our estimates are between two and 10 times higher than those made by the French Atomic Energy Commission in 2006," Disclose said.
Disclose said its interpretation of existing data was different to that of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
For example, for an aerial nuclear test called Aldebaran carried out in 1966 on the Mururoa atoll, CEA scientists "considered that the local population only drank riverwater but not rainwater".
However, many inhabitants of this archipelago drank rainwater, according to the investigation.
It added the examination of data also showed that CEA estimates of radioactive soil deposits were under-estimated by more than 40 percent.
This CEA study served as the reference for the Compensation Committee for Victims of Nuclear Tests (CIVEN) for studying the files of victims of nuclear tests.
Up until now only 63 Polynesian civilians, excluding soldiers and contractors, have received compensation, according to the investigative media.
UNQUOTE
Ooop… what about those nuclear tests done by the Yankee in this part of the world?
DeleteTak tau! Tak nak faham!
BTW, since u r so passionate about the livelihoods of the Polynesia/Micronesia/Marshall islands natives, wHY not spend a second to explore the deplorable living conditions on Ebeye island.
Many of their earlier elders had died of radioactive sickness. Many of the descendents r still carrying scares of genetic malformations.
The US authority ain't doing much for these patients on the islands!
The able natives there r ferried daily to Regan missile test site on Kwajalein Atoll to work as SLAVES to serve the white masters there. At night they have to return to their dilapidated slums on Ebeye island w/o fail - courtesy of the white masters after a day's hard work!
Oooop… the Regan missile site IS situated on a manmade island sitting on top of the Kwajalein Atoll!
The Chinese in the SCSea must have learnt from the Yanks in militarised island building - but with faster pace!
Mmmmm…
ReplyDeleteHasn't someone high in the known war trade, said about the current sleepyhead potus!
"He is the best president of the USofA to start a war due to his persistent showing of STUPIDITY!"
A series of half-witted political moves ever since he took over the seat of potus.
Unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan w/o proper planning & informing of the allies.
Given a shutdoor by the China president when trying multiple times/ways to get a formal meeting to discuss bilateral relationships.
Crushing the long established strategic trust & cooperations with the non-wasp allies by backstabbing them.
Etc etc… brace for the coming storm!
Frenchie Must Remember......in WW1 (1914-1918)
ReplyDelete==================================================================
# 313,814 Ozzie soldiers embarked to liberate Europe from Germany
# 63,163 died (1 in 5)
# including 46,000 in France and Belgium
# about 18,000 have no known grave
# 152,171 were wounded
Thousands more Ozzie soldiers died on French soil, in WW2
How many Frenchies died fighting for Ozzie land?
Why r those ozzies died in a far far away land during WW1 (1914-1918)?
DeleteDitto in WW2?
Blurred mfer, how about to repent their expatriated criminality by mother England?
Definitely not for the sake of the proud rooster whom was their auntie's blood enemy throughout the franco-pommie history!
Wakakakaka…