Today I announce the appointment of Ms Andrea Gleason as Australia's next Consul-General in Honolulu.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of ANZUS, built on shared values, deep cultural and historical links, and closely aligned interests.
Our close and enduring relationship was affirmed by my recent visit to the United States.
Our Alliance with the United States is crucial to addressing major challenges in the Indo‑Pacific, including combating COVID-19, supporting regional economic resilience, and promoting peace and stability.
The Alliance is central to Australia's security and sits at the core of our strategic and defence planning. Underpinning the Alliance is an extensive and mutually beneficial economic relationship.
The United States is the largest investor in Australia by a wide margin, with annual two‑way investment standing at AU$1.8 trillion in 2020, and annual two‑way trade in 2020 standing at AU$81 billion.
Ms Gleason is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Deputy Head of the Economic Candidacies Taskforce. She has previously served as DFAT's Western Australia State Director and overseas in Washington DC and Stockholm.
Ms Gleason holds a Bachelor of Economics Honours from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Australian National University.
I thank outgoing Consul-General Jane Hardy for her contributions to advancing Australia's interests in Honolulu since 2018.
