JUST IN: Biden Meets With Australian PM Anthony Albanese In Oval Office

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President Biden meets with Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Oval Office.

Transcript

00:00 (inaudible)

00:19 >> Well, Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.

00:21 Welcome to the White House. Welcome to the Oval Office.

00:24 It's been a long time coming.

00:27 And let me apologize again for not being able

00:33 to make my visit to Australia.

00:35 I think we're a little bit in disarray here

00:38 and required to be home.

00:39 And so that's why I didn't want to invite you here.

00:42 And together, you know, we've worked together

00:46 in the strength of the alliance,

00:48 and I think we've actually deepened that strength.

00:50 I think we've moved in the direction

00:51 that through our historic caucus partnership,

00:55 we've now (inaudible) and expanded economic development

00:59 on another, with American investment in Australia

01:02 being at an all-time high under our administration.

01:05 And in May, we strengthened our climate ties.

01:08 And thank you, thank you, thank you for your move on climate.

01:11 That's a big deal,

01:13 including launching a new climate minerals

01:15 and clean energy compact,

01:19 because you have great assets and you can all use

01:22 to make sure that we move in the direction of clean energy.

01:26 And today, we're taking our alliance even further

01:29 with doubling down on cooperation

01:32 on technology and science.

01:34 This morning, we're going to discuss

01:36 how all these efforts can help advance a free,

01:41 open, and secure Indo-Pacific.

01:43 And I look forward to discussing how we can work together

01:47 to address threats to the stability in the region

01:51 and the economic stability as well,

01:53 supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia's bitter aggression,

01:57 and to stand with Israel on the wake of Hamas's

02:01 appalling terrorist attacks.

02:03 Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much for being here.

02:06 It's an honor to have you.

02:08 Thank you for your leadership and your personal leadership.

02:11 >> Prime Minister Stevenson Well, thank you very much,

02:13 Mr. President. It is a great honor for me to be here

02:17 as Australia's Prime Minister.

02:21 And our alliance, I believe, has never been more important,

02:24 and it's also never been stronger.

02:26 We've added a third tier. We have had defense,

02:30 and we've had the economic relationship,

02:32 defense through ANZUS,

02:35 the economic relationship through our free trade agreement.

02:38 But we've added a third part of this alliance,

02:42 front and center as well,

02:44 through our clean energy, critical minerals,

02:46 and climate change compact.

02:50 Taking action to protect the world,

02:54 to lower emissions, to take advantage of the shift

02:58 to clean energy,

03:00 the opportunity that presents to grow economies as well,

03:04 and to decouple, particularly for developing nations,

03:07 to allow them to develop in a way at the same time

03:10 as they're reducing emissions,

03:14 and breaking that nexus between industrialization

03:18 and emissions is so important.

03:21 The AUKUS agreement is so central,

03:25 and I thank you, Mr. President,

03:26 for the work that you've done in persuading legislators

03:32 to make sure that we put in place the measures

03:34 that are necessary to encourage that two-way transfer

03:39 of defense technology

03:42 that will be at the center of an agreement

03:46 that's about peace and security in our region,

03:49 but also about prosperity in our region as well.

03:53 In addition to that,

03:56 the work that we're doing together in the Pacific

04:00 is very important. I know that you've hosted Pacific leaders

04:02 twice here in the White House,

04:06 and that has been very welcome.

04:08 In today's uncertain world,

04:10 the alliance between Australia and the United States

04:15 and the way that we stand steadfast against aggression,

04:19 whether it be Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine

04:23 or whether it be Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel

04:28 is something that can be relied upon

04:32 for us to stand up for our common values.

04:34 And that's why I very much welcome this visit

04:39 and welcome the cooperation that we're having,

04:43 as well as our personal relationship.

04:45 This is our ninth meeting in just the 16 months

04:49 that I've had the honor of being Prime Minister.

04:51 And I look forward to continuing to take the relationship

04:55 to a higher level.

04:57 As we do every time we meet today,

05:00 we'll be advancing technology agreement

05:03 between our two great nations as well.

05:06 And innovation is so important

05:08 that we're able to commercialize it

05:10 to benefit both of our peoples.

05:12 So, thank you.

05:13 - Well, you've made one member of my administration

05:17 incredibly happy with your strong move

05:20 to environmental protection.

05:22 That's Secretary Kerry.

05:24 - Indeed, indeed.

05:26 And he's shown great leadership, of course.

05:29 - He is.

05:30 - And it is so important for us

05:33 that the other area of our cooperation

05:35 is, of course, in working on natural disasters.

05:40 Later, I'll be visiting your Emergency Management Authority.

05:45 We've set up a similar model nationally

05:48 based upon what you've done here

05:51 because climate change is real

05:54 and we can see its impacts with wildfires, with floods.

05:59 And that is just a reminder every time

06:03 that we have a responsibility

06:05 to this and future generations.

06:08 - Well, I was asked by Xi Jinping a couple years ago

06:12 why I was working so hard with your country.

06:15 And I said, "Because we're a Pacific nation."

06:19 He looked at me and he said, "Yeah, we're a Pacific nation

06:21 "in the United States."

06:22 And we are.

06:23 We're gonna stay that way.

06:25 Thank you.

06:26 Thank you, everyone.

06:27 - Mr. President, on Israel,

06:28 will you respond to attacks on US troops in the region?

06:32 Will you respond to attacks on US troops in the region,

06:34 Mr. President?

06:36 - You're getting a press conference after this

06:38 with me, go ahead and ask your question.

06:40 Thank you.

06:41 - Okay, thank you guys.

06:41 - Thank you, guys.

06:43 - Thank you.

06:44 - Girls, please stand.

06:45 How you guys look?

06:46 (murmuring)

06:49 (murmuring)

06:52 (murmuring)

06:55 (murmuring)

06:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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