WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2023) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are set to meet in Australia with their respective counterparts for talks on furthering cooperation in a variety of areas across the Indo-Pacific region.
The US officials will link up in Australia as part of two separate trips to the region. Austin's trip includes a stop in Papua New Guinea, while Blinken will also stop in Tonga and New Zealand.
In Australia, Austin and Blinken will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong for the 33rd annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).
The officials will identify areas of potential cooperation and chart ways to move forward on them, the Defense Department said in a statement.
The AUSMIN talks come amid the furtherance of the trilateral Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) security pact, founded in 2021. The AUKUS pact is aimed at boosting security cooperation between the three countries, including through the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
Austin will also visit US and Australian troops participating in the exercise Talisman Sabre while visiting the country.
The officials' trips to the Indo-Pacific and their efforts to expand security cooperation with Australia come amid efforts by the United States to counter China's influence in the region. However, the Biden administration has rejected the notion that engagement with countries in the region is aimed at addressing China, claiming that the United States does not force countries to choose between the two powers.
