United States-Australia: Building an Innovation Alliance

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  • International policy and national security
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Jodie Haydon, Prime Minister of Autstralia, Anthony Albanese, President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, Jill Biden

Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made his first official visit to Washington DC as Prime Minister of Australia, at the invitation of US President Joe Biden.

During the trip, Prime Minister Albanese announced that Microsoft will make an additional $5 billion investment in Australia to become a world-leading digital economy by significantly investing in skills and training.

Separately, a $2 billion expansion of the Australian Government's Critical Minerals Facility was announced. Critical minerals, including rare earths, are the building-blocks for a clean energy future, and are essential to achieving Australia's energy transition.

Prime Minister Albanese also engaged with the US Administration and Congress to progress the AUKUS cooperation to maintain a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Following a meeting with President Biden, the leaders released a substantive Joint Leaders' Statement, which includes the promotion of advanced technology and space cooperation, building clean energy supply chains and addressing the climate crisis, and advancing prosperity and resilience in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Australia’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr Kevin Rudd, also signed a treaty-level agreement in Washington, which allows for US launch technology to be used in commercial space activities in Australia. The agreement will help Australia’s domestic launch sector and spaceports to grow, creating new high-skilled tech jobs and supply chains.