The U.S. embassy has confirmed that the new ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, will arrive in the country on Friday.
Key points:
- Caroline Kennedy was appointed to this position by the United States Senate in May
- It will work together with Australia and the US on the AUKUS agreement
- Kennedy previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan under the Obama administration
Mrs Kennedy is expected to be based in Canberra and says she will continue to support strong ties between the two nations.
“I know that our countries are the strongest allies and that our parents and grandparents fought side by side for over 100 years,” he said.
“I feel honored to represent President Joe Biden, whom I have admired since I was a member of the Senate in 1974.”
Kennedy is a former U.S. ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 under the Obama administration and daughter of former President John F Kennedy.
The U.S. Senate appointed Mrs. Kennedy in May this year and said her family had a long history of respect and appreciation for Australia.
“In 1943, my father’s PT ship was sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Were it not for the help of two Solomon Islands and an observer from the Australian coast, he and his crew would not have survived,” he said.
“I wanted to be the first incumbent president to visit Australia, so I am honored to carry on his legacy in my own small way.”
Kennedy will work with the Australian and US governments on the AUKUS relationship and help Australia acquire and maintain nuclear-powered submarines.
He succeeds Arthur Culvahouse, who left office in early 2021, when former President Donald Trump left office.
Caroline Kennedy arrives at Narita Airport as the newly appointed US Ambassador to Japan in 2013. (Reuters: Yoshikazu Tsuno)
Focus on the Indo-Pacific
Last week, at the Pacific Islands Forum, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the U.S. is committed to working alongside the Pacific nations.
Now, with a new ambassador to the region, the U.S. is expected to intensify its diplomatic efforts.
Prior to his confirmation, Kennedy said working with the Pacific Island nations would be a priority, including working to reopen the U.S. embassy in Honiara as a way to boost engagement with the region.
“No one is more committed to advancing peace and stability, fighting climate change and increasing US economic engagement in the region than the Biden-Harris administration, and I am proud to be a member of the team. “, he said.
Ms Kennedy is also an advocate for the fight against climate change and plans to support the transition to green energy sources.
“I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong and the government to advance our shared democratic values, strengthen our commitment to a healthy, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and move forward in the transition to a world of green energy, ”he said. .
“This is a critical moment in the history of our two countries.
“What we do together in the coming years will determine the future of the region and the planet, and I can’t wait to get started.”