Australia and US discuss greater defence cooperation

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands, during the 2024 Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at the State Department in Washington, U.S., August 5, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia foreign minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday she and defence minister Richard Marles discussed infrastructure, sustainable development, cyberspace, security and conflict prevention with their United States counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

"We have seen the depth of our alignment. We have seen the depth of our strategic trust, and we have also seen the sincerity of our friendship," Wong told a news conference in Annapolis, Maryland, which is hosting the AUSMIN dialogue between the two countries.