Latest news with #G7CriticalMineralsOfficeActionPlan
Sky News AU
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese considers snap trip to NATO summit in bid to secure crucial meeting with Donald Trump
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering a snap visit to The Hague for the NATO summit in an attempt to secure a long-anticipated face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump. The possible Albanese-Trump encounter in the Netherlands at the end of June follows the abrupt cancellation of their scheduled talks at the G7 in Canada. Mr Albanese has been scrambling to re-establish direct dialogue with the Trump administration on key issues, including the AUKUS defence pact and trade tariffs. Mr Albanese confirmed the NATO trip was under active consideration after the US President left the G7 summit due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The sudden exit blindsided government officials, who were notified only when President Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, posted the news on social media. 'We're mature about the circumstances of what happened,' Mr Albanese told reporters after the G7 summit on Wednesday (Australian time). 'It's perfectly understandable. We'll reschedule a meeting — from time to time that is what occurs.' Mr Albanese was asked whether he was 'considering going to NATO' for the possibility of a rescheduled meeting with President Trump. 'Look, I'm considering discussions with a range of people over the last couple of days… I met with the NATO secretary general yesterday,' he said in response. 'But I had discussions with others here as well.' Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd had worked for months to secure the now-cancelled bilateral meeting with Mr Trump. The missed opportunity sparked a flurry of criticism at home, with opposition figures and foreign policy commentators branding the development a failure of diplomacy. 'This is a complete humiliation for Albanese,' The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan told Sky News on Tuesday. 'Trump has had multiple, multiple meetings with (UK and Canadian Prime Ministers) Starmer and Carney. 'But he'd rather have another meeting with them than have his first ever meeting with Albanese.' 'There's just no way you can get around this. This is a complete snub.' In the absence of Mr Trump, Mr Albanese instead held two short meetings on the sidelines of the G7 with key members of the Trump administration. He met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 'I had a meeting this morning with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, which was a good opportunity to put forward Australia's position on tariffs,' Mr Albanese said. 'We also discussed how Australia can support the United States on critical minerals. Australia has endorsed the G7 Critical Minerals Office Action Plan. 'This opens up the prospect of further inspections of the Australian critical minerals and rare earths industry.'
Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese forced to settle for talks with Trump advisors after presidential snub at G7
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been forced to plead Australia's case on defence and trade to political advisers after he was snubbed by Donald Trump, but the fate of negotiations lie solely in the hands of the US President. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has had to settle for meetings with members of the Trump administration after his long-anticipated meeting with Donald Trump was cancelled. After President Trump abruptly left the summit to return to Washington amid escalating Middle East tensions, his scheduled meeting with Mr Albanese was cancelled. The Albanese government was blindsided by the announcement, which was made via a social media post from Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. In response, Mr Albanese held two 20-minute meetings on the sidelines of the summit with senior Trump administration officials. It comes after Trade Minister Don Farrell told Sky News the negotiations between Australia and the US lie solely in the hands of President Trump. Mr Albanese instead spoke with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Australia's Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd also attended the discussions, after having organised the since-cancelled Trump meeting. Mr Albanese said President Trump had not contacted him since the cancelled meeting, adding that he had spoken with 'key advisors to the president'. 'The President has been engaged, obviously, with the circumstances around Iran and Israel. It's perfectly understandable the decision that he made,' he told reporters. Mr Albanese added that other meetings, including with Ukraine President Zelensky and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were also cancelled. 'We have agreed through our American friends that we'll reschedule the meeting (with President Trump),' Mr Albanese said. 'Well, we'll meet soon, and I'm sure that that will occur. You know, from time to time, meetings are rescheduled. That's what happens.' — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 17, 2025 The next opportunity for Mr Albanese to speak with the US President face-to-face will likely be in September 2025, according to sources. In the meantime, the Albanese government has pushed the case for tariff exemptions and plans to unlock critical minerals and rare earths in partnership with the US. 'I had a meeting this morning with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent which was a good opportunity to put forward Australia's position on tariffs,' Mr Albanese said. 'We also discussed how Australia can support the United States on critical minerals. Australia has endorsed the G7 Critical Minerals Office Action Plan. 'This opens up the prospect of further inspections of the Australian critical minerals and rare earths industry.' Mr Albanese's inability to meet directly with the US President has attracted criticism from the opposition and foreign policy experts. The Australian Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan described it as a 'complete humiliation for Albanese' and a 'complete snub' on Tuesday. He pointed out that President Trump held multiple meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the G7 Summit, while Mr Albanese got none. Shadow competition minister Dave Sharma labelled the development an "abject failure of Australian diplomacy'. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley warned that the missed opportunity could impact Australia's ability to protect its interests regarding the AUKUS security pact and tariffs. Treasurer Jim Chalmers defended the Prime Minister, citing the 'perilous moment in the Middle East' as the reason for Trump's early departure and cancellation. 'Prime Minister Albanese has had three conversations with President Trump in recent months. We'll continue to engage in the usual way,' Mr Chalmers said.
West Australian
11 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Anthony Albanese holds meetings with Donald Trump's economic team after G7 one-on-one was abandoned
Anthony Albanese has held meetings with Donald Trump's top economic team focused on tariffs, trade and critical minerals after his much-anticipated one-on-one was abandoned. The US president had left G7 leaders on the world stage yesterday, cutting an early exit to convene a National Security Council meeting over the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Instead, the Prime Minister met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Donald Trump's principal economic adviser Kevin Hassett. The world leader's bilateral meeting had been scheduled to meet on Wednesday AEST where Mr Albanese was expected to raise Australia's case for exemptions from US trade tariffs. It is understood that the US administration officials had sought out world leaders whose bilateral meetings were cancelled after Mr Trump's exit and had two 20-minute sessions with the PM. Speaking in Kananaskis, Canada on Wednesday, Mr Albanese said it was 'understandable' that Mr Trump had to leave the G7 summit early and he was already in discussions to reschedule the meeting. 'I had a meeting this morning with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, which was a good opportunity to put forward Australia's position on tariffs,' the PM told a press conference on the sidelines of the G7. He said in the further meeting with Mr Greer and Mr Hassett, he reminded the US officials of the trade surplus America has had with Australia since the 1950s. 'We made the point very clearly to the American Trade Representative and to the National Economic Council and of the Treasury Secretary that the FDA has delivered for both Australia and the United States for a couple of decades now,' he said. Using all the tools in his arsenal, the PM also flagged Australia's critical minerals, saying it had 'essentially the periodic table' of rare earths. 'We also discussed how Australia can support the United States on critical minerals,' he said. 'Australia has endorsed the G7 Critical Minerals Office Action Plan today which increases cooperation to be of standards-based markets, mobilise capital and promote innovation. 'This opens up the prospect of further inspections of the Australian critical minerals and rare earths industry.' Alongside Australian beef and steel, the PM had also raised the News Bargaining Code in the meetings with US trade officials. Mr Albanese said he would 'continue to engage constructively' and flagged that his Trade Minister Don Farrell was still locked in trade talks with Mr Greer.
