I will visit the United States from 15 to 19 July and the United Kingdom from 20 to 24 July. These visits will provide important opportunities to advance Australia's foreign and trade policy interests through discussion with the leaders of these two key allied countries-both of whom who have been re-elected in recent months.
In Washington, I will be meeting President Bush and senior members of his Cabinet, including Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Rice. In those discussions I will seek to continue our close coordination on the war against terrorism, including through our commitment to the rebuilding of Iraq, and our shared efforts to address regional security challenges, including North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This will be the first opportunity to meet the new members of the US Administration following President Bush's election victory in November 2004. I will also participate in a meeting of the International Democratic Union.
In meetings with congressional and business leaders I will also seek to promote trade and business opportunities emerging from the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement and the recent granting of the E-3 visa category to Australian professionals working in the United States. I will also highlight the strong shared interest we have with the United States in global trade reform, and the importance of a credible outcome from the crucial WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December.
In London, I will hold discussions with Prime Minister Blair and other senior members of the British Government, including Foreign Secretary Straw. These meetings provide an important opportunity to discuss major bilateral and international issues of interest to both governments, including progress on economic and social reform, continued close cooperation in international efforts to combat terrorism and weapons proliferation and our shared commitment to assist Iraq's reconstruction.
While in London I will also have an audience with Her Majesty the Queen and meet British business leaders to encourage further strengthening of already substantial trade and investment ties between our two countries.