A White House official said the United States regretted the French decision and that Washington had been in close touch with France over it. The official said the United States would be engaged in coming days to resolve differences with France. A diplomatic source in France said it was the first time Paris had recalled its own ambassadors in this way. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried on Thursday to calm the French outcry, calling France a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific. Morrison acknowledged the damage to Australia-France ties but insisted he had told Macron in June that Australia had revised its thinking.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 17, 2021 22:41 UTC