Gala canceled: France outraged after US arms deal with Australia

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Emmanuel Macron and then Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the deck of the submarine HMAS Waller on May 2, 2018

Photo: BRENDAN ESPOSITO / AFP

Annoyed by the US government's plans to equip Australia with nuclear submarine technology, Paris canceled a gala in Washington.

It was an event to mark the 240th anniversary of the naval battle of the Virginia Capes, and the two countries actually wanted to celebrate their good relations, as the New York Times reported, citing French sources.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defense Minister Florence Parly had previously announced in a joint statement that the American decision to "push a European ally and partner like France aside" shows "a lack of coherence that France only takes note of and regrets can".

Washington, London and Canberra signed an alliance to secure the Indo-Pacific region on Wednesday in the face of increasing demonstrations of force from Beijing.

Among other things, it provides for the construction of eight nuclear-powered submarines in Australia.

The EU and especially France were taken by surprise.

The agreement with the United States and Great Britain marks the end of a billion-dollar deal that Paris itself concluded with Canberra five years ago.

The French Naval Group was supposed to deliver submarines of the "Shortfin Barracuda" type to Australia, which, however, are not nuclear, but conventionally run on diesel.

Sol