Foreign Minister Penny Wong ‘sure' Anthony Albanese will schedule Trump meeting
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Anthony Albanese is still considering whether he will fly to next week's NATO summit to meet with Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister's highly anticipated meeting with the US President was called off after Mr Trump abruptly left the G7 Summit in Canada on Tuesday, amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled meetings were also cancelled.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday that she knew Mr Albanese was considering whether he should go to next week's NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Senator Wong said she was 'sure' a meeting between the two leaders would occur at some point.
'In relation to the President, I'm sure there will be a meeting scheduled, and the Prime Minister looks forward to building on three very constructive phone calls,' she said.
'It's good to have some perspective here - there is a war going on in the Middle East, there's a war going on in Europe.
'President Trump left the G7, obviously wasn't able to meet the Prime Minister and wasn't able to proceed with the scheduled meeting.
'He also wasn't able to have his scheduled meeting with the President of (South) Korea or the Prime Minister of India. So this is understandable in the circumstances.'
Although both leaders were previously expected to attend the NATO Summit at The Hague, on Wednesday Mr Albanese said he was 'still considering' the trip and declined to confirm when a meeting with Mr Trump would be rescheduled.
'We'll meet soon and I'm sure that will occur. From time to time meetings are rescheduled, that's what happens,' Mr Albanese told reporters in Kananaskis while attending the G7.
'Those discussions have taken place over a period of time, and we'll continue to engage.'
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