PM talks up ‘warm’ Trump phone call but no meeting set
Andrew Brown |
Anthony Albanese has hailed a “warm and constructive” call with Donald Trump, but when the prime minister will come face-to-face with the US president remains uncertain.
Mr Albanese revealed the leaders held their fourth and latest phone call as Australia faces US pressure to loosen trade barriers and lift defence spending.
“We discussed our trade and economic relationship as well as areas for growth including critical minerals,” Mr Albanese said in a post on social media just before midnight on Thursday.
“We also discussed shared US-Australia security interests.”
An Australian government readout of the meeting said Mr Albanese discussed economic co-operation, as well as trade and critical minerals important to both countries.
“Leaders also discussed the strength of our relationship and the importance of our shared security interests,” it said.
But there was no word on when the two leaders would hold their first face-to-face meeting, which Canberra has been pursuing since Mr Trump’s elevation to the presidency in November.
The two men were expected to have talks in June on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Canada but the meeting was cancelled after Mr Trump returned to the US early to deal with the Iran-Israel conflict in the Middle East.
The latest phone call took place just weeks before a United Nations general assembly meeting, which Mr Trump will also attend, at which Australia is expected to join the UK, France, Canada and others in pushing for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
The readout of the conversation did not say whether the leaders discussed the AUKUS alliance.
The US is reviewing the security agreement, under which Australia is expected to spend $386 billion to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, to ensure it aligns with Mr Trump’s “America first” agenda.
The US has been pushing Australia to raise its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product.
Australia was confident about the progress of the AUKUS review, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
“This is a really good opportunity to look at how we can move forward more effectively and efficiently together as well,” he told reporters in Japan on Friday.
Australian ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd welcomed the leaders’ phone call, adding there was “lots going on” in the nations’ relationship and it was “going from strength to strength”.
Australia has been pushing the US to drop tariffs on its exports, although most of the goods it sends to the North American powerhouse are being taxed at a lower rate than those from rival nations.
Mr Trump imposed a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all Australian goods to the US and a 50 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium.
The federal government has been arguing for their removal because of the US consistently running a trade surplus with Australia.
Efforts have been made to use Australian critical minerals as a bargaining chip in the negotiations.
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan criticised Mr Albanese for failing to lock in a face-to-face meeting with the US president.
“It’s been more than 300 days since the US election, yet the prime minister has not secured a face-to-face meeting with the president who has already met with over 30 other world leaders,” he said.
AAP
