Visit to the United States

This week I will travel to Washington DC to deepen Australia's cooperation with the United States on defence, international development and the Pacific.

I will meet with senior leaders in the Biden Administration and the World Bank, as well as Finance Ministers from the Pacific who will be visiting Washington for the annual World Bank meetings.

The priorities of Pacific nations will be central to my discussions and are at the forefront of how Australia engages with the Pacific family.

Australia welcomes the Biden Administration's strengthened engagement with the Pacific including President Biden's recent successful US – Pacific Island Country Leaders' Summit. We have a shared commitment with New Zealand, Japan, and the UK to support and expand Pacific prosperity and resilience through the Partners in Blue Pacific.

My visit will have a special focus on AUKUS opportunities. Defence industrial collaboration between Australia and the United States is a critical and growing part of our bilateral relationship. I will deliver a keynote address to the G'Day USA Defence Industry Dialogue. I will focus on enhancing the way we work together to maximise opportunities for Australia's defence industry and to build resilience in the supply chains that support our defence forces.

On development, I will engage key US counterparts and the World Bank on ensuring our aid investments are effective, targeted and complementary. I will also deliver a keynote address to the CSIS Global Development Forum.

The United States is Australia's most important strategic and economic partner and I look forward to strengthening our modern Alliance to advance a stable, peaceful and prosperous region.