Joe Biden rushed to mend his relationship with Macron

Joe Biden set about repairing political relations with Emmanuel Macron, acknowledging that the announcement of the Security and Technology Pact, which angered France in September, was a rough episode in political relations between the two countries.

The US president and his French counterpart met at the Vatican’s French embassy in Rome on Friday, ahead of this weekend’s G20 summit, for their first face-to-face discussion after France felt humiliated and betrayed after the pact. AUKUS between the USA, Australia and the United Kingdom. Under the agreement, Australia terminated a $ 66 billion contract with France that required the purchase of 12 French diesel submarines in favor of a deal with the United States for eight nuclear submarines. This is the first time that the United States has offered to share its nuclear technology with a third country other than the United Kingdom, the Guardian reports.

Joe Biden told Macron that he thought Australia had informed France that it was canceling its submarine contract. “I was left with the impression that France had been informed long before that the deal was not going well,” he said, suggesting that either his staff had not informed the French president or Australia had misled the White House about its relations with the French. . Biden called France “an extremely valuable partner and a power in itself” that upholds “the same values” as the United States. Macron said the meeting was the beginning of a process of restoring trust between the two countries, but also that concrete decisions have already been made to develop co-operation.

The two leaders also agreed that the United States would step up operations in the Sahel, where France is fighting terrorist groups in Mali and Chad. The Elysee Palace said the meeting set a clear framework for future Franco-American relations. However, relations between France and Australia are still deteriorating due to the issue of compensation that France must receive to cancel the contract.

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