French President Emmanuel Macron will speak in coming days with US President Joe Biden in their first contact since a major diplomatic crisis erupted over a submarine deal with Australia, an official said on Sunday.
The call is at the request of Mr Biden, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.
Mr Attal said there had been “shock” and “anger” at news of Australia dumping a $66 billion French submarine contract after being offered eight nuclear subs as part of Aukus, a defence alliance with the US and UK.
France insists it was not told the news in advance. The 2016 contract between Canberra and Paris was to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.
But Mr Attal said it was now time to try to move forward.
France recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia in a sign of the seriousness of the crisis.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday met the two ambassadors to discuss “the strategic consequences of the current crisis", the ministry said.
“What’s at play in this affair, this crisis … are strategic issues before being commercial issues,” Mr Attal told BFMTV.
“The question is … the forces present, the balance in the Indo-Pacific, where part of our future is at play, and our relations with China.”
The deal by the US reflects the American priority towards the Indo-Pacific region as China strengthens its influence there.
But France feels the move hampers it in a region where it has long had a strong presence, which it was also trying to further bolster.
“France is a country of the Indo-Pacific,” Mr Attal said, referring to the territory of New Caledonia, French citizens living in the region and its military forces based there.
The Indo-Pacific is also an issue for Europe, he said.
Mr Macron will be seeking explanations from Mr Biden about what led to a “major rupture in confidence", Mr Attal said.
On Friday night, Mr Le Drian condemned what France regards as a betrayal marked by “duplicity, disdain and lies” in the submarine affair.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday said France “would have had every reason to know that we have deep and grave concerns” about the capability of France’s Attack-class submarines.
Mr Morrison said the vessels could not meet Australia’s strategic interests.
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The view from The National
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Pakistan T20 series squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
