France’s Le Drian to Hold Talks With Blinken Next Tuesday

(Bloomberg) -- French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Paris next Tuesday, in a bid to improve ties after the recent diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

The two ministers will hold in-depth talks “in order to identify the steps that could allow the restoration of confidence between our two countries,” French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said in a statement. The two met recently in New York. 

“As the minister said in New York, getting out of this crisis will take time and will require action,” Legendre said. 

Blinken is visiting Paris next week for meetings at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The U.S. is trying to mend relations with France after the announcement of a defense pact, known as AUKUS, triggered the cancellation by Australia of a $65 billion submarine deal with France. As a response, France recalled its ambassador to the U.S. for the first time ever. 

While the U.S. initially downplayed France’s fury, officials have been trying to patch things up. On Friday, Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried acknowledged the U.S. could have done a better job handling the announcement of the defense pact.

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