Washington, DC [US], October 26 : At a joint press briefing with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday, US President Joe Biden said the two countries have signed a new Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) that would create more opportunities for American space companies to launch spacecraft from Australia.
"We're also signing a new Technology Safeguards Agreement to create more opportunities for American space companies to launch vehicles from Australia," Biden said at the joint briefing.
According to a statement released by the White House, the agreement will be carried forward and implemented in a way as to protect sensitive US launch technology and data in Australia, consistent with their shared nonproliferation goals.
"On October 26, the United States and Australia intend to sign a Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) that provides the legal and technical framework for U.S. commercial space launch vehicles to launch from Australia in a manner that: protects sensitive U.S. launch technology and data in Australia consistent with our shared nonproliferation goals; and creates the potential for new space-related commercial opportunities," read the statement issued by the White House.
Biden stressed that both countries are planning to invest USD 65 million in support of enhancing secure and resilient connectivity in the Pacific Islands.
"Together, our countries plan to invest a total of $65 million in support of enhancing secure, resilient connectivity in the Pacific Islands by working with Google, APTelecom, and Hawaiki Nui to provide branching units for the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu," the US President was quoted as saying further in the statement.
He added that the US was pioneering new advancements and innovations, "deepening our cooperation in fields like biotechnology, advanced batteries, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and a lot more".
He informed that America and Australia have launched a new Artificial Intelligence between the national laboratories of the two countries "to drive revolutionary and responsible research on humanity's biggest challengesfighting hunger, curbing pandemics, predicting natural disasters, and ending cancer".
"The US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have launched new artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation supported by a combined USD 6.2 million to drive ground-breaking research in responsible and ethical AI solutions to address pandemic preparedness, drought resilience, and other societal challenges," President Biden was quoted as saying further in the White House statement.
Underlining that both nations are accelerating action on climate change, he added, "In May we established a Climate Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Compact to elevate our climate cooperation alongside our defence and economic cooperation."
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