Australia PM Confident Aukus, Quad Will Endure After US Election
(Bloomberg) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is ending a brief US visit confident that two key regional security alliances will remain in place regardless of who wins the presidential election.
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Albanese had a lengthy one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden Friday in Wilmington, Delaware, at which their Aukus security alliance with the UK was discussed. The following day the pair joined prime ministers Narendra Modi of India and Fumio Kishida of Japan at the annual Quadrilateral Security Dialogue leaders summit.
Overhanging the discussions was uncertainty over the future of both arrangements beyond the US vote in early November. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has long been wary of US alliances he thinks are lopsided, but Albanese says both Aukus and the Quad have a secure future.
"I know from my own experience, one-on-one discussions I've had across the Congress and across the center, how deep the support for Aukus is," he told reporters in the US. "There is no question in my mind that Aukus will continue to have the support of any future US administration."
Last week, the three Aukus members signaled they are willing to consider expanding the agreement by allowing access to the so-called second pillar that focuses on research and development of critical technologies. They named Canada, South Korea and New Zealand as potential partners for collaboration and said they were also exploring cooperation opportunities with Japan.
The Quad leaders on Saturday announced a joint initiative to collaborate and save lives from cancer, initially focused on cervical cancer, as well as enhancements to maritime security that include an observer program across coast guard services to improve interoperability.
On the future of the Quad alliance, Albanese told reporters he was "absolutely confident" it would endure, adding that "all four nations are committed."
His view was echoed by Biden, who said it "will survive way beyond November."
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