Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has concluded his first international engagements since being re-elected. During the first leg of the trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, the Prime Minister held a successful Annual Leaders’ Meeting with President Prabowo Subianto. The two leaders discussed broadening our countries’ partnership and elevating our strong and mutually beneficial economic ties under our bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Prime Minister Albanese then joined Catholics and world leaders in Vatican City to represent Australia at the papal inauguration of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV.
Prime Minister Albanese had the honour of a private audience with His Holiness where they discussed their shared concerns around global conflict and the resulting humanitarian impacts.
Prime Minister Albanese formally invited His Holiness to Australia for the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028.
It has been 16 years since an Australian Prime Minister had an audience with the Pope and the first time an Australian Prime Minister has attended a papal inauguration.
While in Rome, Prime Minister Albanese met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reaffirmed Australia’s ongoing support of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister also met President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and had several informal discussions with other world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
During a stopover in Singapore on the way back to Australia, Prime Minister Albanese met Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong.
The two Prime Ministers shared their perspectives on the regional and global outlook and recommitted themselves to a substantive upgrade of the Australia–Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
