Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met US President Donald Trump face-to-face for the second time in two weeks, after months of being unable to secure a one-on-one meeting.
The encounter took place during a special dinner at the APEC summit in South Korea, hosted at the Hilton Gyeongju Hotel in Gyeongju on October 29, 2025. Prime Minister Albanese secured a prime position at the table, sitting directly next to Mr Trump. On Trump’s other side was South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who hosted the summit. Also at the table was New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who arrived with the US president and shared conversation throughout the dinner.
APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, is a forum of nations bordering the Pacific Ocean, focused on economic collaboration and trade.
During the dinner, President Trump took a moment to personally praise Mr Albanese, telling him he did “a fantastic job” by securing a $13 billion critical minerals deal. This deal was announced after the leaders’ first one-on-one meeting in Washington last week. Mr Trump also noted their previous meeting, saying, “We had a great meeting a week ago,” while patting the Prime Minister on the arm.
The meeting underscores ongoing cooperation between Australia and the United States in critical minerals and broader economic relations in the Asia-Pacific region.
