Anthony Albanese has already traveled more than 43,000 km abroad in less than six weeks since winning the May 21 election.
The prime minister set the tone for his jet set office on his first day in office when he flew to Tokyo just hours after being sworn in on May 23.
He later visited Indonesia to meet President Joko Widodo and is now in Madrid as a guest at a NATO meeting before traveling to Paris to meet President Macron.
Mr Albanese’s travels to date have taken him to two continents – Asia and Europe – and would have earned him more than 50,000 Qantas points if he had flown commercial business class.
The last Labor Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was also known for his jet set manner and was nicknamed Kevin 747 after his election in 2007 for his series of VIP flights around the world.
Anthony Albanese has already traveled more than 43,000 km abroad in less than six weeks since winning the May 21 election. He was in Tokyo, Indonesia, Dubai and Spain
Mr. Albanese stayed during his Tokyo trip a meeting of the quad leaders with President Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 79-year-old US President, who fell asleep during last year’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, was impressed that Mr Albanese appeared so awake shortly after the election campaign, saying: “If you fall asleep while you’re here, it’s fine ‘.
Mr Albanese reassured leaders that Australia’s commitment to the Quad remains intact despite the change in government.
“We had a change of government in Australia but Australia’s commitment to the quad has not and will not change,” he said.
Joe Biden praised Anthony Albanese’s energy after the new prime minister flew to Tokyo on his first day in office
On June 5, Mr. Albanese made his first bilateral overseas visit to Australia’s neighbor Indonesia, best known to Aussies for the holiday island of Bali.
The nation of 273 million is rapidly developing and Australia is looking to improve market access for its exports to diversify away from China.
Mr. Albanese met President Widodo and the couple went for a bike ride around his palace grounds.
Although he wobbled and later complained that the pace was too slow, he said he really appreciated the ride and even took the bike he was using back to Australia.
The Prime Minister then had three weeks in Australia – including dealing with an energy crisis – before his next trip abroad to Madrid for a June 26 NATO summit.
En route to Spain, Mr Albanese stopped in the United Arab Emirates, where Australia has a military hub at Al Minhad Air Force Base, just outside Dubai.
Accompanied by his girlfriend of two years, Jodie, he met with Defense Forces and Australian Embassy staff at the center known as Camp Baird.
Some 2,750 Afghan evacuees were treated there following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and Kabul’s fall to the Taliban in August last year.
Speaking to about 30 soldiers, Albanese thanked them for their service to the nation’s security and said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a “reminder of the uncertain world we live in”.
“Our values of upholding the international rule of law and maintaining a sense of order in the global environment are not to be taken for granted,” he said.
“It must be defended, and those of us in political life feel humbled knowing that it is defended every day by our men and women in uniform.”
The prime minister arrived in Spain on Monday night, where he will join the leaders of Japan, South Korea and New Zealand alongside the 30 NATO members.
NATO was founded in 1949 as a security alliance against the Soviet Union, now Russia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon disembark the plane after arriving in Madrid
Anthony Albanese poses for photos with members of the Australian Defense Force during a visit to Camp Baird, Australia’s main base of operations in the Middle East
In Madrid, Mr Albanese will meet his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He will also meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and address the OECD Council.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and China’s increasing assertiveness are high on the agenda of the NATO meeting.
“Australia has unequivocally supported Ukraine and condemned President Putin,” Albanese said.
“We will continue to fight for freedom and democracy.”
Mr Albanese was invited by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit the war-torn country, but his security team is still deciding whether to accept the logistical and security concerns that have been raised.
The Prime Minister said he was “honoured” to accept an invitation to Paris from President Emmanuel Macron.
“France is an important partner and friend of Australia, particularly in our shared vision of peace and stability in the Pacific,” he said.
Relations with France soured after former Prime Minister Scott Morrison abandoned a $90 billion submarine deal with French company Naval Group.
The new prime minister made his first bilateral foreign visit: a trip to Indonesia to meet President Widodo (pictured together)
