SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he will visit the United States for a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden after his trip to India this week.
“I look forward to the continuing engagement that I have with the U.S. administration,” Albanese told reporters before leaving for India, without giving a date for the U.S. trip.
Albanese is expected to sign a long-awaited pact to build a fleet of nuclear submarines during his U.S. visit next week, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Tuesday.
Albanese is due to travel to the signing ceremony, expected to be held on Monday in San Diego with Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the newspaper reported, citing its own sources.
“We will have further announcements about details soon about the arrangements that will be taking place,” Albanese said.
Albanese said his government wanted to diversify trade with India, Australia’s sixth largest trading partner, and will be leading a business delegation in the first visit by an Australian prime minister since 2017.
“The truth is that India, along with Indonesia, will grow to be the third and fourth largest economies in the world in coming years. That presents an incredible opportunity for Australia,” Albanese said.
Albanese will reach India later on Wednesday and will be there until Saturday. He will join Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Australia-India annual leaders’ summit in New Delhi, and will also visit Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Stephen Coates)
