Scott Morrison: Joe Biden interested in Australia’s success with COVID-19
US President-elect Joe Biden will look to Australia for lessons on how to defeat the COVID-19 health and economic crises.
US President-elect Joe Biden will look to Australia for lessons on how to defeat the COVID-19 health and economic crises.
Mr Biden and Scott Morrison spoke for the first time on Thursday since the Democrat’s election victory over Donald Trump on Saturday.
The Prime Minister said in Canberra that Mr Biden was interested in how Australia had managed to control the pandemic and how it was dealing with the recession.
“We discussed the many global challenges, of course. Whether they be COVID-19, which is very much clearly top of his agenda in addressing the situation there, as well of course of the economic impacts of that,” Mr Morrison said.
“The President-elect was very interested in Australia’s success here, and what Australia could contribute from our lessons, and our learnings the way that we have managed the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic dimensions of that as well.
“We discussed security and the environmental challenges that Australia and the US can work together on, particularly in the areas of emissions reducing technologies.”
Net zero emissions not discussed
Mr Biden did not raise a net zero carbon emissions target for 2050 in the call.
Labor has tried to push the Prime Minister towards a defined timeline towards net zero emissions this week now the United States is set to re-enter the Paris Agreement under the incoming Biden Administration.
But Mr Morrison on Thursday said he was the one to raise climate action with Mr Biden in their call, focusing on the development of low carbon technologies.
“We did not discuss that but I raised with the president-elect the similarity between the president-elect’s comments and policies regarding emissions reduction technologies that we needed to achieve that,” he said.
“And we look forward to working on those issues. But the specific matter that you raise was not addressed.”
‘No greater friends and allies’
Earlier, Mr Morrison said he and Mr Biden looked forward to celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS security treaty next year and would work together to solve global challenges.
I’ve just spoken to President-elect @JoeBiden to congratulate him on his election. There are no greater friends and no greater allies than Australia and the US. pic.twitter.com/eZm7I4p7Ih
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 12, 2020
“I’ve just spoken to President-elect @JoeBiden to congratulate him on his election. There are no greater friends and no greater allies than Australia and the US,” Mr Morrison tweeted.
“I look forward to strengthening even further our deep and enduring alliance, and to working with him closely as we face the world’s many challenges together.
“We look forward to celebrating the 70th anniversary of ANZUS next year.”
Mr Biden’s call with Mr Morrison comes after he held discussions this week with the leaders of Canada, Britain, Germany, France and Ireland.
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