Florence Parly personally took the decision to drop the bilateral meeting with British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, the sources said. The French defence ministry could not be immediately reached. The sources confirmed an earlier report in the Guardian newspaper that the meeting had been cancelled. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to smooth relations with France, following the joint, Bloomberg News reported. France was infuriated and said its relationships with Australia and the United States are in crisis.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 19, 2021 23:15 UTC