EU backs France as Australia submarine deal strains alliance
Al Jazeera
European Union leaders have rallied behind France in its anger over a multi-billion dollar submarine deal with Australia that was scuppered when Canberra signed up to a trilateral Asia Pacific security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom.
The security pact, known as AUKUS, includes the sale of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, and has strained relations between western countries ahead of the start of this week’s annual gathering of world leaders for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Speaking after the closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the assembly, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “more cooperation, more coordination, less fragmentation” was needed to achieve a stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific region where China is the major rising power.
