GENEVA (RIA Novosti): French President Emmanuel Macron canceled a visit to Switzerland , scheduled for November, due to the confederation’s refusal to purchase French fighters, Swiss media reported on Sunday.
According to Le Matin Dimanche and Sonntags Zeitung , the French president, through the ambassador, informed the Swiss authorities about the cancellation of a visit to the confederation to meet with Swiss President Guy Parmeland. Macron’s official visit was scheduled for November and has been preparing for six months.
As noted, the French leader also banned all high-level bilateral contacts with Switzerland until the summer of 2022. The confederation indicates that contacts at the operational level and through ambassadors will continue.
The media note that Macron’s decision is due to the fact that Switzerland chose US F-35 fighters for the needs of the army . The deal amounted to over $ 6 billion. According to publications, the dialogue with France about the purchase of Rafale fighters continued even after Bern made the final decision on the F-35.
France has recalled its ambassadors from the United States and Australia. The reason was the creation of the AUKUS, due to which Paris lost the contract with Canberra for the supply of 12 submarines. The US State Department, stated that they understand the position of France in the situation with the AUKUS alliance.
