New York: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on October 20, ending long-running speculation about when the two men would hold their first face-to-face meeting.
A White House official confirmed the meeting would take place on that date, but provided no other details.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House next month.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer, AP
Albanese is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to see the president at a reception with more than 100 other world leaders on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEST).
The prime minister had earlier said he would have the opportunity to meet Trump on the sidelines of the ASEAN or APEC summits in Malaysia and South Korea at the end of October.
The announcement will please supporters of the US-Australia alliance, who were growing alarmed by the length of time between Trump’s inauguration and a meeting with Albanese.
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Justin Bassi, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told this masthead: “I’m usually sceptical about focusing too much on any individual meeting but eight months into the second Trump administration we really do want our leaders to be meeting face to face and talking about how we take the alliance forward.
“The world’s in a difficult place with authoritarian regimes working more closely together and seeking to undermine our societies, so a critical relationship like ours should be prioritised by both sides because that’s the best way to deter aggression.”
The pair have spoken four times by phone since Trump was elected last year but have not met in person. The absence of a sit-down encounter, until now, had been painted as a failure by the Coalition.
