French envoy to return to US after Biden-Macron call, Morrison snubbed

PARIS • The US and French presidents moved to mend ties, with France agreeing to send its ambassador back to Washington and the White House acknowledging it erred in brokering a deal for Australia to buy American submarines instead of French ones without consulting Paris.

In a joint statement issued after US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone for 30 minutes on Wednesday, the leaders agreed to launch in-depth consultations to rebuild trust, and to meet in Europe at the end of next month.

They said Washington had committed to step up "support to counter terrorism operations in the Sahel conducted by European states" which United States officials suggested meant a continuation of logistical support rather than deploying US special forces.

Mr Biden's call to Mr Macron was a bid to mend fences after France accused the US of stabbing it in the back when Australia ditched a US$40 billion (S$54 billion) deal for conventional French submarines, and opted instead for nuclear-powered submarines built with US and British technology.

Outraged by the US, British and Australian deal, France recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra last week.

"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," the joint US and French statement said. "President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian interacted for the first time since the submarine crisis erupted and had a "good exchange" on the margins of a wider meeting at the United Nations on Wednesday, a senior State Department official told reporters, adding that Washington "very, very much welcomed" France and the European Union's deep engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier on Wednesday, White House spokesman Jen Psaki described the call as "friendly" and was hopeful about improving ties. "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," she told reporters.

Asked if Mr Biden apologised to Mr Macron, she said: "He acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he tried to arrange a conversation with the French President but had been unsuccessful. He said he would be patient in rebuilding ties with France, after meeting US lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the submarine deal and Aukus. The security partnership was widely seen as designed to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Pacific but critics said it undercut Mr Biden's broader effort to rally allies like France to that cause.

Biden administration officials suggested the US commitment to "reinforcing its support to counter-terrorism operations" in the Sahel region of West Africa meant a continuation of existing efforts.

France has a 5,000-strong counter-terrorism force fighting Islamist militants across the Sahel. It is reducing its contingent to 2,500 to 3,000, moving more assets to Niger, and encouraging other European countries to provide special forces to work alongside local forces. The US provides logistical and intelligence support.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US military will continue supporting French operations, but declined to speculate about potential changes in US assistance.

"When I saw the verb 'reinforce', what I took away was that we're going to stay committed to that task," he told reporters.

REUTERS