Biden, Australian premier pledge to advance alliance after signing security pact

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged Wednesday to further advance their bilateral relationship as they seek to build on a trilateral security pact with the UK.

"Today we are taking our alliance even further," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office as he prepared to host Albanese for closed-door talks as part of an elaborate state visit replete with no shortage of pomp and circumstance.

The US, Australia and the UK jointly announced the formation of AUKUS, the trilateral security treaty for the Indo-Pacific region, on Sept. 15, 2021. It is designed principally with China in mind as Beijing grows more assertive in the region.

"The AUKUS agreement is so essential," said Albanese. “The work we are doing together is important.”

The leaders are expected to address reporters at a news conference later Wednesday.

In addition to the development of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia under the AUKUS pact, Canberra is sending military and civilian personnel to embed with the US and UK navies "subject to any necessary arrangements" to accelerate their training on the new submarines.

The US has also increased nuclear-powered submarines port visits to Australia this year with Australian sailors joining them for additional training.

The first US Virginia-class submarine arrived in Australia in August, five months after the nations announced their roadmap for Australia to attain nuclear-powered submarines.