<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Trump administration has expressed regret for having to postpone a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese but has failed to confirm when the delayed face-to-face will take place.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese's first meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada in mid-June fell through when </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-anthony-albanese-meeting-in-doubt-after-white-house-announces-early-g7-departure/2a1d579c-528d-451e-9760-62be996785f5" rel="" target="_blank" title="Trump left early"><span>Trump left early</span></a><span> to oversee the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-attack-on-iran-donald-trump-message-to-nation-after-us-military-strikes-on-iranian-nuclear-sites/1adc9538-5045-43a7-8467-ca64a9349ffa" rel="" target="_blank" title="US strikes on Iran."><span>US strikes on Iran.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong — who is in Washington this week for Quad talks between Australia, the United States, Japan and India — spoke privately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the failed meeting.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/pheobe-bishop-alleged-murder-third-person-charged/720df7e5-310b-4cd7-ba96-42bb6cc7710f" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Third person charged in Pheobe Bishop's disappearance and alleged murder</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wong said Rubio "expressed his regret" that the meeting did not go ahead while she acknowledged that "these things do happen".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He expressed his regret for the fact that the meeting had to be rescheduled and I obviously said we completely understood," she told </span><em><span>Today</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think the world understood the president had a fair bit to do ahead of what was occurring in the Middle East."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-administration-regrets-postponing-meeting-with-anthony-albanese-penny-wong-says/7a44234c-fb9f-49a9-899c-33290c149391" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Following the G7 Summit, Albanese chose not to attend the NATO Summit in the Hague in late June, where Trump was in attendance. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wong sidestepped confirming whether or not there was a date on the books for a meeting between Albanese and Trump.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We are working together on rescheduling the meeting. We're both looking forward to the president and the prime minister meeting," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have all secured visits to the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese has continued to insist the meeting will happen, with his </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-says-donald-trump-meeting-will-happen-vows-to-put-australia-first/9962bbe6-d534-4d78-bb30-d70b7b61c9d4" rel="" target="_blank" title="most recent remarks made yesterday"><span>most recent remarks made yesterday</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/qantas-hit-by-cyberattack-six-million-customers-data-potentially-compromised/aa83aada-7774-4921-b39c-038aaeaf0687" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Qantas hit by cyberattack, six million customers' data potentially compromised</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With still no date for a meeting confirmed, concerns are growing around key issues threatening relations between the two countries.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US has demanded Australia raise its defence spending to 3.5 per cent, adding that if Europe could lift spending to five per cent then so could Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump has also ordered a review of AUKUS, the alliance between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, which Albanese has consistently tried to downplay.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's a good deal for all three countries and we understand that this is normal practice for a new administration to want to look at these sorts of agreements," Wong told </span><em><span>Today</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US' 50 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium remain the headline of trade discussions. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wong, ahead of her trip to Washington, stressed the US was "our closest ally and principal strategic partner".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We will continue to work together to further our important economic and security partnership and advance our mutual interests," she said in a statement on Monday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>

SHARE:

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.*