Australia made 'huge' mistake' cancelling sub

18/9/2021 19:32

        Australia has made a "huge" diplomatic error, the French ambassador said on Saturday having been recalled to Paris after Canberra ditched a multi billion dollar order for French submarines in favour of an alternative deal with the United States and Britain.
        
        Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said in Canberra, "I think this has been a huge mistake, a very, very bad handling of the partnership – because it wasn't a contract, it was a partnership that was supposed to be based on trust, mutual understanding and sincerity."
        
        Australia said on Thursday it would scrap the deal signed in 2016 for France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership
        
        France called the cancellation of the deal - valued at $40 billion in 2016 and reckoned to be worth a lot more today - a stab in the back and recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia.
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