The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne to continue our ongoing efforts to ensure a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific following September’s Australia-United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) meetings in Washington. They discussed the Australia-UK-U.S. (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership and the ways in which we will deepen our engagement with other key allies and partners in our collective efforts to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific. They also recommitted to our collective work in the region to build back better from COVID-19.