White House Says AUKUS, Climate Leadership Among Top Foreign Policy Achievements of 2021

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Reclaiming leadership in global issues, climate leadership and the development of the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) partnership rank among the top accomplishments in foreign policy of the Biden administration in 2021, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday.

Responding to a journalist's question about the single biggest foreign policy success of 2021, Psaki took to Twitter to list as many as three of the accomplishments the White House is "proud of" this year.

"Reclaiming our leadership role in international institutions and convening world leaders to make real progress on the biggest challenges of our time – serving as the world’s vaccine arsenal, driving the global economic recovery, and restoring U.S. leadership on climate," Psaki summed up the first accomplishment.

Second, she listed restoring alliances with Europe to resolve trade disputes and advance shared values as another success.

"In the Indo-Pacific, we have developed new platforms like AUKUS and elevated the Quad. We are working more closely with our allies and partners in the region on defence, security, and economic interests, while deepening connections between our European and Indo-Pacific allies," Psaki said, completing the top three list.

Announced in September, the formation of AUKUS and a related nuclear submarine development deal briefly sparked tensions between the group and France due to the cancellation of a preexisting submarine agreement between Paris and Canberra.