Later in the day,Morrison will join British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for dinner at the Australian ambassador’s residence in Washington.
Morrison was joined in the meeting by Foreign Minister Marise Payne,Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Australia’s ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos.
Biden was joined by Secretary of State Antony Blinken,National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and global climate change envoy John Kerry.
Morrison noted that the leaders were meeting in New York 20 years after the September 11 attacks,the first and only time Australia has invoked the 70-year-old ANZUS treaty.
The US and Australia,Morrison said,“have always shared a partnership that is about a world of order that favours freedom – that’s why we have always stood together”.
Recognising concerns about the submarine pact in south-east Asia and Europe,Morrison stressed that the US and Australia alliance was not trying to exclude “friends in the ASEAN nations or Europe or elsewhere”.
In commentsconfirming European anger over the AUKUS announcement extends beyond France,German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas described the submarine agreement as “unsettling”,adding he could “understand the anger of our French friends”.
At an Atlantic Council event,the European Union’s internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said:“It is true that some see this in Europe as a wake-up call for Europe.
“Something has changed. There is indeed a growing feeling in Europe – and I saw this with great regret – that something is broken in our transatlantic relations.”
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Morrison said the US-Australia alliance “goes to global prosperity,it goes to global freedom,the freedom of our seas,the freedom of our region”.
“It goes to addressing the great global challenges of climate change,a new energy economy and a very challenging future but one that I have no doubt our partnership is able to address,” he said.
At the UN,Biden said the US would vigorously compete with countries such as China,but did not seek conflict.
“We’re not seeking – say it again,we are not seeking – a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs,” Biden said.
Speaking at a press conference in New York Morrison said he agreed with Biden that the US and China could avoid a new Cold War.
“I am confident that we can avoid the conflict that we all want to avoid,” he said.
“And I believe that includes not only Australia and the many countries in our region and our friends across ASEAN,but I believe it extends to our partners in the Quad - Japan and India - as we will discuss next week,and no doubt China.
“I’m encouraged by the President’s efforts in seeking that direct engagement and having that direct and honest engagement with China.”
On Saturday (AEST) Biden and Morrison will meet again,this time in Washington with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first face-to-face leaders’ meeting of the “Quad”.