WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken will visit Paris next week following tensions between France and the United States after Australia dropped a French subcontract in favour of a pact that Washington signed last month.

Blinken is in Paris between Monday and Wednesday. She will also chair the meeting of Ministers from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as hold discussions with French officials. Ned Price, spokesperson for State Department said Friday.

Price announced that John Kerry, U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai, as well as other U.S. officials will join Blinken in Paris.

Blinken then will fly to Mexico for security discussions at the highest level.

Australia, the United States and Britain have announced on September 15 a new security partnership in Indo-Pacific. The agreement would enable Australia to obtain nuclear-powered submarines from America and allow it to end its 40 billion-dollar deal with France for submarines. France was furious at the cancellation of the agreement and called it “a stab in the back”.

The following week, President Joe Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and promised to start “in-depth consults” about the relations between the two countries.

Price indicated that Blinken, French officials, and Blinken were in Paris to continue talks on “further strengthening the vital U.S.-France relation on a variety of issues including security and Indo-Pacific, the climate crisis and economic recovery from COVID-19 panademic, as well as the Transatlantic relations and working together with our Allies, partners, and to address global challenges, opportunities, and other matters.”