At the invitation of Prime Minister Gillard, the President will visit Australia on November 16-17 in connection with the 60th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance, which plays a critical role in the security of the entire Asia-Pacific region. Australia is one of the United States’ closest allies and our troops have served together bravely in Afghanistan and conflict zones throughout the world. This visit will immediately follow the APEC Leaders Meeting hosted by President Obama in Hawaii and will provide the two leaders an opportunity to build on the APEC agenda and expand bilateral cooperation to increase global economic growth, trade and jobs. The President looks forward to consulting closely with the Prime Minister on global and regional issues in preparation for the East Asia Summit to be held later that week in Bali, Indonesia.