Turnbull and Trump set for first face to face

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will meet with US president Donald Trump next week on board an aircraft carrier in New York.

It will be the first time the two leaders have met face to face after a tense phone call at the beginning of the year that saw Trump slam Australia for its refugee exchange deal established with former president Barack Obama.

The meeting will take place on board the USS Intrepid – a World War 2 aircraft that now acts as a floating museum on the Hudson River.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer made the announcement, saying Trump wanted to continue the long-standing relationship between the two states.

“The President will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia,” he said.

“The President looks forward to meeting the Prime Minister and showcasing the enduring bonds, deep friendship and close alliance the US has with Australia.”

The May 4 meeting will be part of the 75th anniversary commemorations for the Battle of the Coral Sea, in which US and Australian naval and air forces took on the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Read more: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull talks about ‘that phone call’

In his own statement on the sit-down, Turnbull said the two would discuss the Middle East and rising tensions in North Korea.

I’m delighted to travel to the US in May to meet with @POTUS President Donald J Trump & attend 75th Battle of the Coral Sea commemorations

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) April 25, 2017

“I’m delighted to travel to the United States next month to meet with President Donald J Trump and to attend the 75th Battle of the Coral Sea commemorations in New York, hosted by the America-Australia Association (AAA),” he said.

“My meeting with President Trump will provide an opportunity to reaffirm our alliance and the United States’ engagement with the Asia-Pacific. It closely follows my visit to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and comes at a time when our region faces a serious threat from a reckless and dangerous regime in North Korea.”

Read more: Trump lets fly about Turnbull phone call again

Despite their apparent rough start, both men have since reiterated their commitment to maintaining the US-Australia relationship.

Vice President Mike Pence was in Australia last week on an official visit, while over 1000 US military have arrived in Darwin for their six-month rotation.

With Trump calling for a show of force against North Korea and Kim Jong-Un naming Australia has a possible target, Turnbull is expected to keep the US on side.

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