British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese are planning a visit to Washington in mid-March to discuss their plans with US President Joe Biden within the framework of the AUKUS tripartite format, Bloomberg reported , citing sources.
During the visit, the leaders of the three countries are expected to announce which submarine design has been chosen to replace Australia’s Collins-class diesel ones.
Australia’s federal parliament schedule shows Albanese could travel between March 10 and 19, while Sunak is unlikely to be able to leave the country before March 15.
The British Prime Minister’s office emphasized that a visit to the US is possible, but did not specify a specific date or reason for a possible trip. Neither Albanese’s office nor the White House responded to requests for comment.
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced the creation of a new partnership in the field of security (AUKUS) in 2021. As part of the agreement, Australia plans to build at least eight nuclear submarines using American technology, the first of which will enter combat duty in 2036, as well as rearming its armed forces with American cruise missiles.
source: focus-news
