President Obama praised Australia’s contributions to the coalition fighting the Islamic State during his first Oval Office meeting Tuesday with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Mr. Obama said their meeting would focus on “how we can strengthen our cooperation in both Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan and also countering violent extremism globally.”
Australia ranks second behind the U.S. in the number of troops and material contributed to the coalition. But Mr. Turnbull recently demurred when asked if Australia would commit more troops to the effort, telling an audience in Washington Monday that “the right boots” must be on the ground.
Mr. Turnbull also congratulated Mr. Obama for completion of the Iranian nuclear deal and the lifting of economic sanctions, calling it a “great example of leadership.”
In addition, the two leaders were discussing efforts to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade deal promoted by the administration that includes Australia, the U.S. and 10 other nations.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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