After the diplomatic crisis caused by Australia’s cancellation of a major French submarine contract, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Paris next week to meet with French leaders, the government said. State Department this Friday.
Antony Blinken will be in Paris from Monday to Wednesday for a meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and “will also meet with his French counterparts to continue discussions on strengthening the vital relationship between the United States and France on a series of issues, ”said US diplomacy spokesman Ned Price.
Discussions on “the Indo-Pacific region”
They will discuss in particular “security in the Indo-Pacific region” but also “the climate crisis, the economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, the transatlantic relationship and collaboration with our allies and partners to meet the challenges and seize global opportunities, ”added Ned Price.
From Paris, Antony Blinken will then take off for Mexico, his first trip to this neighboring country of the United States as head of American diplomacy.
Appeasement between France and the United States
Last month, Australia’s breach of a contract to buy twelve French submarines worth 55 billion euros, to buy American-designed nuclear-powered ships, sparked the wrath of France.
Paris accused the United States of treason, and even briefly recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultation. The diplomatic crisis seemed to subside after a telephone discussion between Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron last week, in which the US president admitted that the United States could have communicated better with its long-time ally.