For the first time in more than half a century, the US is sharing its submarine nuclear technology with an ally.
(Photo: dpa)
new York In the submarine dispute, the European Union stands on the side of France. The EU foreign ministers discussed the issue on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and then declared their solidarity with the French government.
More cooperation, better coordination and less fragmentation are necessary in order to achieve stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region, said EU foreign policy representative Josep Borrell on Monday.
The announcement by Australia, Great Britain and the USA last week about their Indo-Pacific security pact, which shattered a French submarine deal with Australia, came as a surprise. France’s European Minister Clement Beaune welcomed the support of the EU partners and said on Tuesday that Europe must represent its interests more strongly.
To the annoyance of France, the Indo-Pacific agreement between the three countries provides, among other things, for Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines using technology from the two partners. This meant that the delivery of conventional submarines with a volume of 40 billion dollars agreed with the French shipping company Naval in 2016 became obsolete.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden are expected to phone over the next few days. A conversation between Macron and the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will not take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to Morrison. “There’s no such thing right now,” said Morrison. He is sure that it will come to that in due course.
The extent to which the pact will affect trade talks between the EU and Australia is unclear. The next round is scheduled for October 12th.
More: US-Australia nuclear submarine deal angered China – and allies in the EU