Government spokesman Gabriel Attal assured BFMTV that a telephone exchange between Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden was scheduled "
in the coming days
" to discuss the Australian submarine crisis.
Read also Submarine crisis: what can France do against the American giant?
The stake will be "
strategic
" more than "
commercial
", assures the spokesperson.
There will be from Emmanuel Macron "
a request for clarification
".
“
We want explanations
” on what “
looks like a major breach of trust
”.
The spokesperson spoke of a "
moment of shock, of legitimate anger
", but assures us that the government now wants "to
find a way forward with
[its]
partners
".
“
Without trust, it doesn't work,
” he recalled.
Read alsoSubmarine crisis: the tumultuous friendship between the United States and their "oldest ally"
France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia on Friday, an unprecedented decision between these two historic allies. France accuses the United States of having torpedoed a lucrative contract for the French naval industry which provided for the construction of 12 conventional submarines in Australia. But Canberra ultimately preferred a deal with the US and UK, securing nuclear-powered submarines this time around.