Julia Gillard says Australia and US 'great mates'

Obama and Gillard meet at Pacific Rim summit
Gillard says US and Australia were "great mates"
Obama calls Australia his "closest ally"

PRESIDENT Barack Obama has lauded Australia as a key player in the Asian economy as he held his first talks with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and invited her to Washington next year.

Gillard meanwhile said Australia and the United States were "great mates'' and offered condolences for US losses in Afghanistan, where Australian troops are fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with American forces.

Obama also praised the "enormous sacrifices'' being made in Afghanistan by Australian troops and said he would discuss war strategy in more depth with Gillard at next week's NATO summit in Lisbon.

"The United States does not have a closer or a better ally than Australia,'' Obama said as he met Gillard in the Japanese port city of Yokohama ahead of a Pacific Rim summit.

As he wrapped up an eight-day stay in Asia designed to pry open markets and promote US job creation, Obama said the region was ``highly important to our economy and to world economic growth. Australia is a central player in that economy.''

Read full story

Have your say

Skip to:: Read comments; Add comments

Comments on this story

allie of adelaide Posted at 5:48 PM November 13, 2010

I thought that 'mate' in the USA meant sexual partner. They laugh at us in an embarressing way when we call others 'mate'. Way to go Gillard Advisors!

Comment 1 of 4
Jim of Strath Posted at 6:15 PM November 13, 2010

Cringe.

Comment 2 of 4
blow it out your bum of adelaide Posted at 6:27 PM November 13, 2010

what a joke....

Comment 3 of 4
Forever an Aussie Posted at 3:33 AM November 14, 2010

Two world leaders and their love fest........vomit. Wait till Barry visits Australia - with a bit of luck he'll want to stay. It'll cost US taxpayers millions and millions which will really tick off the majority of Americans again. His little trip to India, Indonesia, S Korea, Japan, cost the US taxpayers $200 million per day. No, Americans don't laugh at Australians re "mate".

Comment 4 of 4