Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed in a statement on Saturday (September 21) that following his meeting with U.S. President Biden, he believes that regardless of the outcome of the November U.S. presidential election, the future U.S. government will continue to support the trilateral security partnership AUKUS among Australia, the UK, and the U.S.
However, Biden will hand over the presidency after the November 5 election, at which point either Harris or the Republican candidate Trump will assume office and carry out the duties.
Albanese stated at a television media conference in Philadelphia, “I have no doubt that AUKUS will continue to receive the support of the future U.S. government.”
In a statement released by Albanese’s office on Saturday, it was mentioned that the Prime Minister held a one-on-one meeting with Biden at the President’s home ahead of the Quad Leaders Summit, where they discussed bilateral cooperation in defense and security in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders “reaffirmed their support and commitment to the AUKUS agreement, indicating that this partnership will continue to advance and has secured bipartisan support in the U.S.”
The statement highlighted the positive results of cooperation under the AUKUS agreement by Albanese and Biden, particularly recognizing Australia’s achievements in enhancing its defense capabilities. “They welcomed significant progress made this year, including the capability for Australia to establish a conventional-armed nuclear-powered submarine fleet by 2030.”
This meeting took place privately and was not open to the media.
U.S. officials told Reuters that it is expected that leaders of the various countries will discuss conflicts between China and neighboring countries in the South China Sea at the Quad Leaders Summit.