(VOVWORLD) - Australia notes with regret France’s decision to recall its Ambassador to Australia over a security deal with the US and the UK, a spokesperson for the Australian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Australia values its relationship to France and looks forward to engaging with France again on our many issues of shared interest, based on shared values, the statement said.
Washington said earlier that it also regrets France’s recall of Ambassador for consultations and wants to resolve tensions through diplomatic means in the coming days, even during a UN General Assembly meeting in New York next week.
The security deal between the US, UK, and Australia is turning into a diplomatic crisis as Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines using US technology, unilaterally tearing up a 40-billion-USD contract with France.