EU May Reconsider Cooperation With US Due To AUKUS - Commissioner

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2021) The European Union may to review its partnership with the United States, taking into account the tensions between France and the security alliance AUKUS, comprising the US, the UK, and Australia, European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said.

The trilateral platform, for which Canberra left a $66 billion contract on 12 submarines with France, was announced last week. In response to Australia's choice for submarine supply within AUKUS, Paris recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the United States, describing the move as betrayal of mutual trust.

"There is of course in Europe a growing feeling that something is broken in our transatlantic relations. It's true that we hear some voices in Europe saying that probably after what happened over the past two months, it may be a good idea to reassess everything we are doing, and our partnership," Breton told the Financial Times newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.

Breton's remarks came after Paris attempted to convince Brussels to delay the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), launched in June of that year and scheduled to be held in Pittsburgh this month to discuss trade and investment opportunities, cooperation in technology, digital issues and supply chains.

While the EU can provide the US with certain benefits within the TTC, it remains unclear what Washington can give in response, Breton, who is a former French Finance Minister, added. Washington and Brussels have a lot of common interests, but they should match when it comes to cooperation, the commissioner concluded, citing the AUKUS dispute.