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Malcolm Turnbull to finally meet Donald Trump

The call between Mr Trump and the PM made headlines around the world.

The call between Mr Trump and the PM made headlines around the world. Photo: AAP

Malcolm Turnbull will finally come face-to-face with President Donald Trump when the Prime Minister travels to the US for meetings next week.

Mr Trump will host Mr Turnbull on the USS Intrepid, the decommissioned World War II aircraft carrier that is the centrepiece of New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

The May 4 event, set to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, will be the first time the pair have met since an ill-tempered phone call in January that tested the US-Australian relationship.

The meeting will also come as the finishing touches are being made to the May 9 federal budget.

While Mr Trump has already held meetings with most major world leaders, as well as several minor ones, the absence of talks with one of his supposedly staunchest allies has raised eyebrows.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer went out of his way on Wednesday morning (AEST) to warmly announce the meeting.

“I just want to proudly announce on May 4 the president will speak aboard the USS Intrepid in New York City to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea – a major naval battle during World War II in which the United States joined with Australia to halt the advance of enemy forces,” Mr Spicer told reporters at his daily briefing.

“That same day at the museum the President will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia,” he said.

“The president looks forward to meeting the prime minister and showcasing the enduring bonds, deep friendship and close alliance the US has with Australia.”

In a statement after the White House confirmed the event, Mr Turnbull said he was “delighted” to be meeting with Mr Trump.

“My meeting with President Trump will provide an opportunity to reaffirm our alliance and the United States’ engagement with the Asia-Pacific,” he said on Wednesday.

It also comes at a time when the Asia-Pacific region faces a serious threat from a “reckless and dangerous” regime in North Korea, Mr Turnbull added.

The New York trip follows a pre-Anzac Day visit to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Mr Turnbull met with US Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Former US ambassador to Australia John Berry said it was very important Mr Turnbull was meeting Mr Trump so early in the President’s term.

Using the Coral Sea anniversary was also a wonderful way to show how the alliance between the two nations was forged in blood during World War II, Mr Berry told Sky News.

“Right now Australia is side by side with the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq and Syria taking on ISIL and terrorists,” he said.

“The President and Vice-President are now keenly aware just how deep and broad this relationship is.”

Mr Berry said tensions on the Korean Peninsula were likely to feature in the talks between the two leaders.

The timing of Mr Turnbull’s New York trip takes him away from final federal budget deliberations before its delivery in Canberra on May 9.

Assistant minister Karen Andrews said she is not concerned about the timing, insisting budget preparations have been under way for many months.

“The Prime Minister’s visit to the United States is quite a separate issue and will cause no concerns,” she told Sky News.

Labor’s Ed Husic said it was good the meeting was finally happening and Australia’s voice was being heard.

“Obviously Australians being Australians, we value our friendships but we also value the right to be able to speak our mind from time to time,” he said.

Mr Trump was angered during the January 28 call by the asylum seeker deal Mr Turnbull negotiated last year with then-US president Barack Obama.

US Vice President Mike Pence, on his recent Australian tour, and other Trump administration officials have worked to soothe the relationship after the January 28 phone call abruptly ended when Mr Trump told Mr Turnbull it was “the worst call by far” on a day of conversations he had with world leaders.

Mr Trump reluctantly agreed to go ahead with the refugee relocation deal as long as the asylum seeker undergo “extreme vetting”.

– With AAP

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