President Trump is scheduled to host a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House this afternoon, hosting the foreign leader for the first time since taking office in January.
Discussions will reportedly center around trade, rare earth minerals, and Indo Pacific security.
The leftwing Australian leader is well known for the country’s anti-free speech policies and persecution of opposition to leftwing ideas.
This comes after President Trump hosted a meeting with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday to discuss the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Per Reuters:
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will hold his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, targeting a bigger U.S. commitment to Australia’s critical minerals sector as China tightens control over global supply.
The centre-left Australian leader also expects to discuss nuclear submarines, trade and Indo Pacific stability with his security ally, his office said. Albanese has travelled to Washington with his minister for resources, but not the foreign and defence ministers.
The Trump Administration is reviewing the A$368 billion($239.46 billion) AUKUS treaty that will see Australia buy U.S. nuclear-powered submarines in 2032 before building a new submarine class with Britain. Australian officials have said they are confident AUKUS will proceed, with Defence Minister Richard Marles last week saying he knew when the review would conclude.
“Australia and the United States have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in every major conflict for over a century,” Albanese, re-elected in May for a second term, said in a statement on Sunday.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11:15 am ET.
The President willo then have lunch with the Prime Minister to discuss arrangements further.
Watch live below:
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