Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said this morning that his meeting yesterday with US President Donald Trump was “terrific”, and called his sideline meetings with other US officials “constructive sit-downs”.
“It was a terrific meeting, and we got on very well. I had almost three hours with President Trump yesterday,” Albanese told ABC’s News Breakfast program this morning.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses members of the ‘Friends of Australia Caucus’ and congressional advocates during a breakfast reception at Blair House in Washington, DC.Credit: AAPIMAGE
“One of the things that I have found here in the United States is the enormous respect that Australia is held in but importantly, what we have got out of this meeting is President Trump and I signed an agreement that will result in eight and a half billion dollars of investment to start a critical minerals, rare earths framework that will mean jobs in Australia. It means economic growth. It means more economic resilience. It’s really good news… there’s a flow on impact and benefit for us.
“And as well, of course, we had the confirmation of the President’s very strong support for the AUKUS arrangement, and indeed, [he is] looking at fast tracking some of those arrangements as well.”
“I also had really constructive sit downs with the Secretary of the Treasury, Bessent, and with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio,” the PM said.
