Blinken seeks to patch up ties on France trip after subs furor

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will promise better communication with France on a trip to Paris next week where officials are still smarting over the cancellation of a massive submarine contract.

Blinken will travel to Paris from Monday through Wednesday for a meeting of the OECD club of advanced market economies and also meet French officials, the State Department announced.

Blinken will then fly from Paris to Mexico City for his first trip to the US neighbor as secretary of state, which was already announced by the Mexican government.

France was infuriated last month when Australia canceled a multibillion-dollar deal for French submarines, saying it would pursue US nuclear versions as tensions rise with China.

"We agree that the September 15 announcement would have benefited from better and more open consultation among allies," said Karen Donfried, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs.

"Our meetings in Paris are part of our commitment toward a process of in-depth consultations going forward. We recognize this will take time and will take hard work and it will need to be demonstrated not only in words but also in deeds," she told reporters.

France accused the United States of betrayal and Australia of back-stabbing and withdrew ambassadors from both countries.

Tensions began to ease when President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. French Ambassador Philippe Etienne returned Wednesday to Washington and promptly received separate meetings with Blinken and Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor.

France is still livid with Australia, with a long-planned round of Australia-EU free trade talks postponed.

AFP