“The alliance between Australia and the United States has never been more important than it is today, and we have never done more than we do now,” the Democratic host told his guest.
According to the president, the two countries “are ready to do the hard work, the historic work, to face the challenges we face.”
Nearly four thousand spectators on the south lawn of the executive mansion attended the official welcoming ceremony for Albanese and his wife, Jodie Haydon.
Albanese’s visit is part of a historic agreement called AUKUS, which is a key step in Biden’s efforts to close the circle of Washington’s allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region to try to face China, according to observers and some media outlets.
When he arrived in Washington, DC, on Sunday, Albanese laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
He also visited Microsoft, where the company announced an unprecedented $3 billion artificial intelligence and cybersecurity partnership with Australia.
The previous day, the two governments presented a working group on critical minerals to discuss bilateral cooperation in that field; In addition, the guest participated in an opening ceremony of the recently renovated Australian Embassy.
With the reception this morning, the official Albanese program began, which included conversations with Biden.
Biden and Albanese will talk about “how to improve defense cooperation,” White House Director for East Asia and Oceania Mira Rapp-Hooper told reporters the other day.
We believe – the official stressed – that this visit is a fitting celebration of the alliance between the United States and Australia (past, present and future).
This Wednesday, the White House canceled the performance of the new wave band B-52 at the state dinner dedicated to Albanese, considering it inappropriate.
The first lady, Jill Biden, rejected the presence of that group because “many people are suffering from grief and pain,” although she did not refer to the genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza.
The Australian leader is the fourth world leader to be honored by a Democratic president with a state visit, after the leaders of France, South Korea and India.
