Albanese meets Trump at White House for first time
US President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the White House and started the first official talks between the two leaders.
The Prime Minister attended the meeting hoping to get assurances that the US would not sever ties with the AUKUS agreement, which would give Australia nuclear submarines.
The tripartite deal, worth more than $300 billion, was being reviewed by the US Department of Defense to ensure it was compatible with Mr Trump’s administration’s “America first” agenda.
Mr Albanese also wanted to ensure Australia gets a share of the tariffs Mr Trump has imposed on goods entering the US.
Australian officials are laying the groundwork for a potential critical minerals deal that is hoped to be used as leverage in any tariff negotiations with the United States.
The Prime Minister was also joined by Resources Minister Madeleine King and Industry Minister Tim Ayres during his visit to the USA.
The White House meeting was the first time the leaders had held formal bilateral talks and the sixth time Mr Albanese met with the US president since his re-election in November.
Four of these meetings took place over the phone; The two first met in person at a reception hosted by Mr. Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
