French ambassador to return to Washington after tiff over submarine deal
CBSN
France's ambassador to the United States will return to Washington, D.C., after having been recalled when Australia scuttled its submarine deal with France in order to buy submarines with U.S. and British technology instead.
The news of Ambassador Philippe Étienne's return was announced in a joint statement following a call between President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday, which took place at Mr. Biden's request. Australia's submarine deal with the U.S. and U.K. took France by surprise and outraged French officials, causing a diplomatic crisis.
"The two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefitted from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners. President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard," the joint statement reads.
