US and Australian foreign and defense ministers to meet on August 6

SYDNEY (Reuters) – The foreign and defense ministers of the United States and Australia will meet in the United States on Aug. 6, the countries’ embassies in Canberra said on Monday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will host the Australian delegation in Annapolis, Maryland, along with their Australian counterparts Penny Wong and Richard Marles, as part of the annual Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) dialogue.

“Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin look forward to strengthening our cooperation on all global and regional issues and deepening the U.S.-Australia alliance with their Australian counterparts,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

Washington and Canberra are close allies and work together primarily to counterbalance China, which is playing an increasingly assertive role in the Pacific region.

At the last AUSMIN meeting in the northern Australian state of Queensland, the two countries agreed to assist Australia in the production of multiple launch guided missile systems before 2025.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)