Australian Leader Plans Meeting With Biden After India Trip – The Diplomat

Oceania | Diplomacy | Oceania

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated Wednesday he plans to satisfy with President Joe Biden in the US following a visit to India this week, amid hypothesis the leaders will make an announcement about Australia’s plans to construct nuclear-powered submarines.

Albanese gave few particulars of the U.S. journey, saying there can be additional bulletins in regards to the preparations. Albanese is visiting India by way of Saturday.

U.Okay. officers confirmed Wednesday that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet with Biden and Albanese in San Diego on Monday for talks on Australia’s procurement of nuclear submarines below the AUKUS protection settlement among the many three nations.

The earlier Australian authorities infuriated France in 2021 by canceling a $66 billion contract for a French-built fleet of conventionally powered submarines and opting as a substitute for nuclear-powered variations in a deal secretly brokered with the US and Britain.

The deal got here amid concern in Australia and the U.S. about China’s more and more assertive presence within the Pacific area.

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Albanese has stood by the AUKUS settlement to embrace nuclear expertise. An announcement on whether or not Australia will go for a model of the U.S. Virginia-class or British Astute-class submarines is predicted quickly.

Albanese made the remarks Wednesday to reporters at Perth Airport earlier than boarding his airplane to India.

He arrived later Wednesday in Ahmedabad in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence state of Gujarat firstly of his four-day go to.

Albanese paid tributes to Mohandas Gandhi, India’s independence chief, throughout a go to to the Sabarmati Ashram, which was one in every of Gandhi’s abodes in India. Albanese later attended a cultural occasion associated to the Hindu Holi pageant on the state governor’s residence.

On Thursday, Modi and Albanese are scheduled to spend a while watching a cricket match between the visiting Australian group and its Indian rivals in Ahmedabad.

Albanese will later depart for Mumbai, the place he’ll go to India’s home made plane service INS Vikrant, which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in September. The 2 leaders will maintain official talks in New Delhi on Friday.

“Australia and India are vital companions,” Albanese stated in Perth. “We share frequent values. We’re each vibrant democracies. We’ve an curiosity in enhancing our financial relations.”

He stated India, together with Indonesia, would develop to be the third- and fourth-largest economies on the planet, which offered “an unbelievable alternative” for Australia.