Common value: Albanese and Biden affirm Australian-US partnership
President Joe Biden has described the Australia-US alliance as “an anchor to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific” while standing by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House.
Albanese’s state visit is intended to deepen an alliance that’s increasingly viewed as a critical counterweight to China’s influence in the Pacific.
It was the ninth and most high-profile meeting between the leaders, reflecting their work towards closer ties on climate change, technology and national security.
Both leaders expressed hope the appointment of a new House speaker in the US would facilitate approval of the sale of US nuclear-powered submarines to Australia as part of the AUKUS deal.
“We renewed our commitment to defend the values that are at the heart of this alliance,” Biden said.
“We continue to stand as one to forge a better future for both of us and all of the region.”
The state visit is only the fourth since Biden took office in 2021.
Biden said the alliance was characterised by “imagination, ingenuity and innovation”, and they would “race undaunted to a future we know is possible if we work together”.
Albanese said the “soul of our partnership” was “not a pact against a common enemy”, but “a pledge to a common cause”.
You might like
Biden said Australia was a critical partner, along with 50 other nations, in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty against Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “brutality and aggression”
Albanese, who discussed the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Biden, said Australia “unequivocally condemns the terrorism of Hamas”.
“We grieve for the loss of every innocent life, whether that be Israeli or Palestinian,” he said.
The prime minister announced that Australia would provide a further $US15 million ($A24 million) in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.
The two leaders also said they would work together on supporting economic development among Pacific island nations, a key arena as the US seeks the upper hand in the region.
They plan to invest in building maritime infrastructure and laying undersea cables to strengthen internet connectivity.
The leaders have placed a strong emphasis on emerging technologies and cutting-edge research.
“Australia and the United States have a strong and growing partnership in new technology – from medical research to AI,” Albanese said.
An almost $10 million commitment to CSIRO and its American counterpart will allow both research agencies to launch an artificial intelligence co-operation that will pioneer AI solutions for natural disasters and other societal challenges like future pandemics.
The Australian National University and the US Los Alamos National Laboratory, best known for its role in the development of the atomic bomb, have made a commitment to strengthen co-operation in education and research between the two nations.
Stay informed, daily
This partnership will also extend beyond the stratosphere, where both Canberra and Washington DC have agreed to the responsible exploration of outer space.
A Technology Safeguards Agreement will allow US commercial space vehicles to launch from Australia, after it is signed on Thursday.
Talks have opened on a “one stop security” pilot program to streamline screening requirements and shorten transit times for air passengers from trusted countries including Australia.
The initiatives come on top of a previously announced AUKUS defence arrangement in which the US will sell and build nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
Albanese arrived at the White House on Wednesday morning as a military band played and 4000 guests watched from the South Lawn.
After a one-on-one discussion in the Oval Office followed by bilateral talks with US cabinet secretaries, Albanese and Biden held a joint media conference in the Rose Garden.
Albanese said the two had discussed “our joint position standing against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine” and the Middle East conflict.
The friendship between the nations, he said, “has been forged in hard times, we have served and sacrificed together in the cause of peace, we have helped each other through natural disasters. Australia and America share a rich history but we have our eye on the future.”
“The relationship has never been more important, or stronger, than it is right now.”
Albanese and the US president are capping off their time together with a star-studded dinner at the White House.
Rapper The Kid LAROI and Vance Joy, the musician behind the 2013 Triple J Hottest 100 winner Riptide, are in attendance.
American comedian John Leguizamo, best known for playing Sid in the Ice Age movies, has also shown his face alongside former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg.
-with Reuters
