U.S.-Australia Relations

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis joined their Australian counterparts in Sydney for the annual Australia-U.S. ministerial consultations (AUSMIN). Following their meeting, they held a joint news conference. On the U.S. withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, Secretary Tillerson reiterated that President Trump decided to leave because he felt it did not serve the American people, but said the U.S. was still willing to discuss new deals on trade and climate. Other questions focused on the fight against ISIS, North Korea’s nuclear missile aggression, and reaction to news that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirate had cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar. close