Article: UK's Starmer talks defense cooperation with Australia's re-elected Albanese

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May 5, 2025

UK's Starmer talks defense cooperation with Australia's re-elected Albanese

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A British service member is seen during night time live firing training in trenches at the Smardan Training Area in Romania as part of exercise Steadfast Dart 2025. (NATO photo by Heiko Mueller via UK Ministry of Defense)

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has congratulated Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese's election win in a phone call and the two agreed to bolster defence and security cooperation, Starmer's office said on Sunday.

"Discussing defence and security, including our shared support for Ukraine, the leaders also agreed to increase ambition on our joint submarine programme, AUKUS," Starmer's Downing Steet office said in a readout of their call.

Starmer has said he will ask London's special representative to the AUKUS defence project, Stephen Lovegrove, to travel to Australia in the coming weeks to discuss the programme further, the statement added.

(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by Mark Heinrich)

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