Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke of an “enhanced” partnership. “A partnership where technology, scientists, companies and our armed forces work together to create a safer region. Everyone benefits from that.”
Australia should immediately benefit from this close cooperation. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The primary mission of this partnership will be to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.” He spoke of a “new chapter” in the friendly relations between the two countries.
France’s Naval Group called it a “great disappointment” that Australians chose to work with the Americans and British. The French company had hoped to deliver diesel-electric submarines worth more than €31 billion to Australia. The Naval Group said on Thursday that this will not happen due to the new collaboration AUKUS.
The media in Australia and the United States have already reported about the new partnership. The insider told news site Politico that the initiative is seen as a way to form a united front against China, although that country will not be explicitly mentioned in the agreements.
US President Joe Biden said working with the British and Australians should make it possible to meet “the challenges of the 21st century” together. He described the establishment of the American University of Kosovo as a “historic step” and noted that the armies of the countries had already fought side by side during two world wars.
Sources told Politico that the partnership would allow the sharing of advanced technologies. During his speech, Biden emphasized that AUKUS also aims to ensure that countries maintain their leadership in the military field and in the development of “vital” technologies, for example in the field of artificial intelligence.
