{"id":10162,"date":"2021-09-23T09:34:10","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T09:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/undergroundnews.co.uk\/?p=10162"},"modified":"2021-09-23T09:34:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T09:34:12","slug":"france-agrees-to-send-envoy-back-after-biden-macron-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/undergroundnews.co.uk\/?p=10162&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"France agrees to send envoy back after Biden-Macron call"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mishaal Arshad CM Underground News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>France and US agree to mend fences after Biden calls French counterpart.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>US acknowledges error of judgment in brokering deal with Australia.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Outraged by the US, British and Australian deal, France recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>PARIS\/WASHINGTON: France has agreed to send its envoy back after President Joe Biden telephoned French President Emmanuel Macron and the White House acknowledged that it erred in brokering a deal for Australia to buy US submarines without consulting Paris.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a joint statement issued after the US and French presidents spoke by telephone for 30 minutes, the two leaders agreed to launch in-depth consultations to rebuild trust, and to meet in Europe at the end of October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They said Washington had committed to step up &#8220;support to counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel conducted by European states&#8221; which US officials suggested meant a continuation of logistical support rather than deploying US special forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biden&#8217;s call to Macron was an attempt to mend fences after France accused the United States of stabbing it in the back when Australia ditched a $40 billion contract for conventional French submarines, and opted for nuclear-powered submarines to be built with US and British technology instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outraged by the US, British and Australian deal, France recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefited from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners,&#8221; the joint US and French statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, interacting for the first time since the submarine crisis erupted, had a &#8216;good exchange&#8217; on the margins of a wider meeting at the United Nations on Wednesday, a senior State Department official told reporters in a call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two top diplomats were likely to have a separate bilateral meeting on Thursday. &#8220;We do expect that they\u2019ll have some time together bilaterally tomorrow,&#8221; the official said, and added that Washington &#8216;very very much welcomed&#8217; France and European Union&#8217;s deep engagement in the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki described the call as &#8220;friendly&#8221; and sounded hopeful about improving ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The president has had a friendly phone call with the president of France where they agreed to meet in October and continue close consultations and work together on a range of issues,&#8221; she told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked if Biden apologized to Macron, she said: &#8220;He acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new US, Australian and British security partnership (AUKUS) was widely seen as designed to counter China&#8217;s growing assertiveness in the Pacific but critics said it undercut Biden&#8217;s broader effort to rally allies such as France to that cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Biden administration officials suggested the US commitment to &#8220;reinforcing its support to counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel&#8221; region of West Africa meant a continuation of existing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">France has a 5,000 strong counter-terrorism force fighting militants across the Sahel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is reducing its contingent to 2,500-3,000, moving more assets to Niger, and encouraging other European countries to provide special forces to work alongside local forces. The United States provides logistical and intelligence support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US military would continue to support French operations, but declined to speculate about potential increases or changes in US assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;When I saw the verb reinforce, what I took away was that we&#8217;re going to stay committed to that task,&#8221; he told reporters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mishaal Arshad CM Underground News France and US agree to mend fences after Biden calls French counterpart. 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