Albanese has announced a strategic reserve of critical minerals and Australia’s ambassador to the US, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, told a think tank last month that Australia could be a rare earths “superpower”.
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The Coalition and some media commentators have criticised Albanese for failing to arrange an in-person meeting with Trump since his return to power in January, noting the US president has met with other allies including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer multiple times, and with counterparts from the Indo-Pacific including the leaders of Japan, India and, as of last week, South Korea.
They were due to meet at the G7 leaders’ summit in Canada in June, but Trump left the gathering early amid a brewing crisis in the Middle East.
Albanese and Trump are both due to attend the opening of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, though no formal meeting has been announced.
The UN summit will be coloured by the decision of a number of US allies, including Australia, to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state amid the war between Israel and militant group Hamas – a move opposed by Washington. There was no indication of whether Trump and Albanese discussed the decision on their call.
On Thursday night, Albanese also participated in a separate call of members of the so-called “coalition of the willing” on Ukraine, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Starmer and Zelensky. Trump was also dialled into that meeting, according to a White House official.
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