A gala in Washington, which was being hosted by French diplomats, was called off on Friday due to the newly formed alliance between United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, which has been tagged as AUKUS.
The event was scheduled to recognise the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Capes, according to reports from CNBC citing officials.
However, the official added that other events which were scheduled in the same time frame were not called off. “Other parts of the celebration are still ongoing”, the official said.
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In addition to the Washington event, Maryland’s Baltimore and Annapolis were also hosting celebratory events. Norfolk harbour’s event, which included a French Submarine, has not been called off.
The move comes nearly a day after France denounced the security partnership between the three countries, which will help Australia in gaining nuclear-powered submarines to help uphold a stronghold in the Indo-Pacific region.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s minister for foreign affairs, said, “It was a stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia. This trust has been betrayed”, according to reports from CNBC.
According to reports from Associated Press, France will lose a nearly $100 billion deal to build diesel submarines for Australia under the terms of the initiative, which will see the United States and Britain help Canberra construct nuclear-powered ones.
The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House said that French authorities had been informed of the decision before it was announced on Wednesday, although it was not exactly clear when.
Blinken said on Thursday there had been conversations with the French about it within the past 24 to 48 hours, suggesting there had not been an in-depth consultation.
Similar reactions were given by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who said that the Australian submarines will be prohibited from entering New Zealand waters.
