PARIS (AP) 鈥� France will send its ambassador back to Washington next week after French President Emmanuel Macron and President Joe Biden agreed in a phone call Wednesday to meet next month over a submarine spat that sent relations between the longtime allies into a tailspin.
The two heads of state 鈥渉ave decided to open a process of in-depth consultations, aimed at creating the conditions for ensuring confidence,鈥� the Elysee and the White House said in a joint statement. Macron and Biden will meet at the end of October in Europe, the statement said.
In an unprecedented move, France recalled its ambassador after the U.S., Australia and Britain announced a new Indo-Pacific defense deal last week. As part of the pact, Australia will cancel a multibillion-dollar contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead.
The French ambassador will 鈥渉ave intensive work with senior U.S. officials鈥� after his return to the United States, the statement said.
Biden and Macron agreed 鈥渢hat the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners," it said. Biden 鈥渃onveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard.鈥�
Biden reaffirmed in the statement 鈥渢he strategic importance of French and European engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.鈥�
The European Union unveiled last week a new strategy for boosting economic, political and defense ties in the vast area stretching from India and China through Japan to 麻豆视频east Asia and eastward past New Zealand to the Pacific.
The United States also 鈥渞ecognizes the importance of a stronger and more capable European defense, that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to NATO,鈥� the statement said.
No decision has been made about the French ambassador to Australia, who was also recalled last week, the Elysee said, adding that no phone call with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was scheduled.
Earlier Wednesday, Macron's office said the French president was expecting 鈥渃larifications and clear commitments鈥� from Biden, who had requested the call.
French officials described as a 鈥渃risis of trust鈥� last week's announcement of the Indo-Pacific deal, with Macron being formally informed only a few hours beforehand. The move had prompted fury in Paris, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian calling it a 鈥渟tab in the back.鈥�
Paris is now calling for 鈥渁cts, not words only," Macron's office said.
France鈥檚 European Union partners agreed Tuesday to put the dispute , including at an EU summit next month.
Following the Macron-Biden call, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in New York with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell as the administration worked to repair the damage done to broader EU-U.S. relations by the deal.
Blinken spoke of the need for trans-Atlantic cooperation on any number issues 鈥渜uite literally around the world, to include of course Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific and Europe and beyond.鈥�
Borrell, taking note of the phone call, said he hoped to be able to 鈥渂uild a stronger confidence among us following the conversation that had been taking place this morning between President Biden and President Macron. I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l be working together.鈥�
The French presidency categorically denied a report by Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper published on Wednesday saying Macron could offer the country鈥檚 permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council to the European Union if the bloc backs his plans on EU defense.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson dismissed French anger over the submarine deal, saying French officials should 鈥済et a grip.鈥� Using both French and English words, he added they should give him a "break."
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Washington, Johnson said the deal was 鈥渇undamentally a great step forward for global security. It鈥檚 three very like-minded allies standing shoulder-to-shoulder, creating a new partnership for the sharing of technology."
鈥淚t鈥檚 not exclusive. It鈥檚 not trying to shoulder anybody out. It鈥檚 not adversarial towards China, for instance.鈥�
The deal has widely been seen as part of American efforts to counter a more assertive China in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Jill Lawless in London and Matthew Lee in New York City contributed to this story.
Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press
