US, French Foreign ministers to hold talks on October 5
Paris [France], October 2 (ANI): French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Tuesday, local media reported.
The meeting will focus on the "restoration of confidence" between the two allies, after Australia canceled a submarine contract with France in favour of a deal with the US and the UK, Sputnik reported citing Les Echos daily.
After the announcement of the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) trilateral security pact, US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron had spoken on September 22 and decided to start in-depth consultations aimed at creating the conditions for ensuring confidence among the two countries.
The talks between the two presidents were the first communication since the announcement Australia was scrapping a contract to buy French submarines as part of a security pact with the UK and US.
"The two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners. President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard," the joint statement read. (ANI)
