Gillard assures Obama of Australia’s support for military campaign in Afghanistan

June 25th, 2010 - 2:44 pm ICT by ANI  

Barack Obama Sydney, June 25 (ANI): On the first day as the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard telephoned US President Barack Obama to assure him that Australia will continue to support the military campaign in Afghanistan.

She assured Obama that Australia’s approach to the NATO-led coalition’s campaign would be the same as it was under former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

“We spoke about of course the cost that this course is costing our nations; we have seen the loss of life to Australian soldiers,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Gillard, as saying.The new Prime Minister held her first cabinet meeting this morning, with ministers still in the roles they held under Rudd.

“On that basis, of course, Kevin Rudd will not be in today’s cabinet meeting; we will make new ministerial arrangements, I am working on those arrangements now and I will announce them in due course,” Gillard added.

“I want to make sure Australians get a fair share of our mineral wealth but we want to genuinely negotiate,” she said.

Gillard also had a telephonic conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for failing to attend the planned G-20 meeting in Toronto. (ANI)

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