United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Australia next month for annual foreign policy and defence talks between the close allies, Canberra said on Saturday.
US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta will be with Clinton when she visits the western city of Perth on 14 November for the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), Foreign Minister Bob Carr said.
“Australia’s alliance with the United States continues to be the bedrock of Australia’s defence, security, and strategic arrangements,” Carr said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Stephen Smith.
AUSMIN is held annually, alternately in Australia and the United States. The last AUSMIN talks were held in San Francisco on 15 September 2011.
Carr and Smith said the discussions will “further advance the close ties between Australia and the United States”.
“Both countries are committed to military and civilian efforts in Afghanistan to prevent it from again becoming a base for international terrorism, and are working closely in the Asia-Pacific region to promote peace and prosperity,” they added.
Clinton to visit Australia next month
