WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday invited Australia's Foreign Minister Bob Carr to visit Washington after he took office in a dramatic leadership shakeup, the State Department said.
Clinton telephoned Carr -- who was named on March 2 to replace Kevin Rudd, a longtime US partner -- and invited him to visit "this spring," which begins next week in North America, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.
"The United States has no better friend than Australia. Over the past six decades, our alliance has served as an anchor of stability, security and prosperity in the world," Toner said.
"We look forward to continuing our work together to face common challenges and to promote our shared interests and values," he said.
Rudd abruptly resigned as foreign minister last month in Washington and then unsuccessfully challenged Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who had unceremoniously ousted Rudd as prime minister in a party-room coup in June 2010.
Rudd, a Mandarin-speaking former diplomat, enjoyed a wide audience in Washington for his views on China. But he faced criticism at home for what was alleged to be a volatile temper and dismissive treatment of staff.
Carr, a former journalist, stepped down in 2005 after a decade as leader of New South Wales, which includes Sydney and is the country's most populous state.
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