ANZUS all about mateship

AUSTRALIA and the US have reaffirmed their commitment to an “unbreakable alliance”, marking 70 years since the signing of the ANZUS treaty.

Plans to celebrate the milestone in person, either in the US or in Australia, were scrapped due to the pandemic.

Instead, Prime Minister Scott Morrison marked the occasion by laying a wreath at the Australian-american Memorial in Canberra with Defence Minister Peter Dutton and the US Charge d‘affaires Mike Goldman on W e d n e s d a y morning.

Both Mr Morrison and US President Joe Biden (pictured) paid tribute to the two nations’ longenduring “mateship”, the efforts in Afghanistan, and spoke indirectly about the challenge the region faces due to the rise of China. “The ANZUS treaty breathes and adapts with each passing generation, stewarded by 14 Presidents and 14 Prime Ministers since Menzies,” Mr Morrison said in a speech to parliament. “Australia is confronting the most challenging strategic environment in decades. Our alliance will stand resilient in the face of these challenges as we nurture and refresh our commitment one to another.”