US President Joe Biden lauded the AUKUS Partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom, under which Australia will acquire the conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs). Speaking to reporters following his meetings with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego, California, Biden said, “We stand at the inflection point in history, where the hard work of enhancing deterrence and promoting stability is going to affect the prospects of peace for decades to come, the United States can ask for no better partners in the Indo-Pacific where so much of our shared future will be written.” “I want to be clear, I want to be clear to everyone from the outset right off the bat so there’s no confusion or misunderstanding on this critical point, these subs are powered, not nuclear armed subs. They’re nuclear powered, not nuclear armed. “Australia is a proud non-nuclear weapons state, and it’s committed to stay that way. These boats will not have any nuclear weapons of any kind on them,” President Biden noted. “Each of us standing here today representing the United States, Australia, and Great Britain is deeply committed to strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime. “We’ve undertaken this project working hand in glove with the International Atomic Energy Agency and with Director General Grossi,” he went on. “Australia will not produce nuclear fuel needed for these submarines. We have set the highest standards with the IAEA for verification and transparency, and we will honor each of our country’s international obligations. “Working together these past 18 months, we’ve developed a phased approach that’s going to make sure Australian sailors are fully trained and prepared to safely operate this fleet so they can deliver this critical new capacity on the fastest — fastest possible timetable,” Biden added. (pickup previous) asj.
Source: Kuwait News Agency