Top US Diplomat Meets France’s Macron to Heal Rift Amid Submarine Row

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, has attempted to mend bilateral relations, which were soured after the United States pushed Paris aside and signed a lucrative multi-billion-dollar nuclear deal with Australia for submarines last month.

The one-on-one meeting between Blinken and Macron lasted around 40 minutes in the French capital, Paris, on Tuesday.

A senior US State Department official said Macron and Blinken had agreed to use the opportunity to “deepen and strengthen coordination” and characterized the talks as “very productive,” while acknowledging that “a lot of hard work remains ahead.”

According to the official, the two discussed possible joint projects that could be announced by Macron and President Joe Biden when they meet later this month in Europe.

The projects would likely involve the Indo-Pacific and Western efforts to counter China’s growth there and elsewhere, NATO and other trans-Atlantic objectives involving the European Union, and alleged counterterrorism cooperation in Africa’s Sahel region.

The Elysée also confirmed the meeting, saying Blinken’s visit to Paris would “contribute to restoring confidence.”
On September 15, the United States, Britain and Australia established a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific to protect what they called their shared interests and to help Australia acquire American nuclear-powered submarines and scrap a $40-billion submarine deal with France.

Source: Press TV