Biden discusses climate change, Afghan with PMs of Britain and Australia

Ahead of the Quad summit, US President Joe Biden held separate bilateral meetings with prime ministers Boris Johnson of United Kingdom and Scott Morrison of Australia to discuss the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and Afghanistan along with climate change and COVID-19.

Biden met Morrison in New York Tuesday on the sideline of the UN General Assembly session and hosted Johnson at the Oval Office later in the evening in Washington.

“The leaders also discussed our ongoing work on Afghanistan, as well as developments in the Indo-Pacific and the critical role of European allies and partners, including NATO and the EU, in the region,” the White House said in a readout of the bilateral meeting.

This meeting reaffirmed the strong bond between the United States and the United Kingdom, as the leaders agreed to continue working together to fulfill the vision set forward in the Atlantic Charter, it said.

Biden and Johnson reviewed their cooperation on shared global challenges, including, building consensus for action to address the climate crisis, promoting global health security, supporting democracy and human rights, and developing a more inclusive economic future for all countries, the White House said.