By: Pierre Tran
PARIS – France and Australia yesterday signed a treaty for sharing classified information, a bilateral agreement aimed at supporting work on the Future Submarine Program, the two countries said Thursday.
“The agreement will directly support the delivery of the Future Submarine Program and will further enable greater cooperation on a range of national security matters,” the French defense ministry and Australian Attorney General’s office said in a joint statement.
Defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Attorney General George Brandis signed the agreement, which sets out “mechanisms and safeguards to enable the sharing of classified information,” the partner nations said.
The agreement covers classification and information handling, recognition of personnel and facility security clearance. Responsibility is also assigned where contractors work on projects based on classified information.
“This intergovernmental agreement constitutes a significant milestone in the development of a strategic partnership between France and Australia,” the nations said.
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