Initial remarks – AUSMIN lunch
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Can I just welcome friends, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, here to Australia and to say that this AUSMIN meeting comes at a very important time. The relationship between Australia and the United States has never been stronger. It comes at a time of strategic competition in our region. Australia and the United States are working together to promote security, stability and prosperity in our region. I look forward to the discussion today. That comes also in anticipation of my visit to the United States shortly as a guest of government, and later on we have the APEC meeting being hosted in San Francisco. So you are very welcome. You are great friends of our country and you have an ambassador who is doing a wonderful job as well, it must be said.