US President Donald Trump has hailed his friendship with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during talks at the White House despite an awkward moment involving ambassador Kevin Rudd.
The two leaders signed an agreement on rare earth and critical minerals during what US officials billed as a bilateral lunch in the White House cabinet room.
Asked by a reporter about Australia's US ambassador Kevin Rudd's past criticism of Trump, the US president responded: "I don't know anything about him. If he said bad, then maybe he'd like to apologise?".
"Did an ambassador say something bad about me?" he asked Albanese before waving his hand and saying "Don't tell me. I don't want to know".
"Where is he? Is he still working for you?," Trump asked.
Albanese pointed to Rudd on the opposite side of the table.
Rudd said it was before he was in his current position as Australian envoy to the US.
"I don't like you either, and I probably never will," Trump said, as the room laughed.
It came amid an agreement involving the processing of minerals, and includes joint investments between the US and Australia, projects in Australia and other joint projects.
"This is an $8.5 billion pipeline that we have ready to go," Albanese said while signing the deal as Trump noted it had been negotiated over a period of four or five months.
Australia and the US States will invest about US$3 billion (NZ$5.2 billion) in critical mineral projects within six months, the White House said.
The US government will also invest in a refinery for the critical mineral gallium in Western Australia.
Albanese was joined by Resources Minister Madeleine King and Industry Minister Tim Ayres during his visit.
The US president was enthusiastic in his praise for Albanese during the meeting.
"It's a great honour to have you as my friend," Trump said.
"It's a great honour to have you in the United States of America."
Albanese praised the US-Australia relationship and said Trump's work on a Middle East ceasefire was "an extraordinary achievement".
Albanese went into the meeting hoping to gain assurances the US would not curtail the AUKUS trilateral security agreement, which would deliver Australia nuclear submarines.
The more than $300 billion agreement had been under review by the US Defence Department to ensure it aligned with the "America first" agenda of Trump's administration.
US Navy Secretary John Phelan told the meeting the US and Australia were working very closely to improve the original AUKUS framework for all three parties, which includes the UK, "and clarify some of the ambiguity that was in the prior agreement".
Asked about the AUKUS submarine deal, Trump said of Australia "they're getting them".
Trump said Albanese had invited him to visit Australia and that he was giving the offer serious consideration.
The White House meeting is the first time the leaders have held formal bilateral talks and is the sixth time Albanese has spoken with the US president since he was re-elected in November.
Four of those occasions have been over the phone, while the pair met in person for the first time at a reception hosted by Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a massive outage breaks the internet, weather warnings and watched in force, more allegations levelled against Prince Andrew. (Source: 1News)
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