TRANSCRIPT
It was the first papal meeting with an Australian Prime Minister in 16 years.
"Holy father."
"Welcome."
"I'm honoured."
Anthony Albanese and Pope Leo XIV discussing global conflicts and religious freedoms, and their shared concern for humanitarian issues.
Mr Albanese gifting the Pope an artwork by Indigenous painter Amanda Westley.
Ms Westley says while it's momentous for her, she's especially thrilled to be representing the Ngarrindjeri people.
"I was very excited, I'm super proud, but the drive to work gave me a little bit of time to reflect, and I think I'm particularly proud that it's Ngarrindjeri art. All the art that could have been chosen from around Australia, it's Ngarrindjeri art that got gifted. S yeah I'm really proud about that."
And as a gift in return, the Pope blessed Mr Albanese's mother's rosary beads.
Mr Albanese also taking the opportunity to formally invite Pope Leo to Australia in 2028 for a major Catholic conference.
The meeting closing Mr Albanese's trip to Rome, where he also met with the Presidents of the European Union and Ukraine, as well as the Canadian Prime Minister.
He then boarded a plane for Singapore, meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong- where he praised the two countries long and fruitful relationship.
"I look forward to continuing to work together, 60 years of friendship we celebrate this this year, and I think that middle powers in the context of the turbulence of the world, as well, have to step up."
As the Prime Minister wraps up his first international trip since re-election in South East Asia, the Foreign Minister is in the Pacific.
In a meeting with her Fijian counterpart, Penny Wong reaffirming Australia's commitment foreign aid in the wake of the U-S president's decision to pull assistance from the region, announcing four million dollars for Fiji's H-I-V response.
"Australia is a partner Fiji can count on. Australia is a partner the Pacific can count on. We are the largest and most comprehensive partner in the region and we have lifted our development assistance to record levels to more than 2.1 billion dollars to the Pacific, and we have recognised the global aid cuts and the effect of those."
Labour mobility also on the agenda during the talks, after reports of exploitation of Pacific workers employed through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility ((PALM)) Scheme.
"We want the PALM scheme to work for you, your country and your people and that's where we start from. Secondly, we're a Labor government, we represent working people, our history is in the Labor movement, we always work to try and ensure workers are well treated, that they are properly paid, that health and safety are observed, and we will continue to do that."
Ms Wong also stressing Australia's ongoing commitment to improving its impact on climate.
"We have been historically a very Fossil fuel dependent economy, a very emissions intensive economy. So we have to transform it, and that is a big task. I often liken it to a large ship being turned. That's what we have to do."
