Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared Australia’s relationship with the US has never been stronger and insists the nation will have access to nuclear-powered submarines, despite opposition to the deal in Congress.

A group of Republicans is threatening to block the agreement, which is a key part of the AUKUS security pact, over concerns the US Navy will be left short.

But the Prime Minister remained confident Australia would acquire the boats.

“Just like in Australia, there are not unanimous things through parliament,” he told reporters on Friday.

“I met with Republicans and Democrats in Lithuania just a couple of weeks ago and what struck me was the unanimous support for AUKUS.

“The unanimous support for the relationship between Australia and the United States has never been stronger.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the US Congress could be a complicated place but the submarine deal was solid.

‘We have reached an agreement’

“We’re encouraged by how quickly it is going through,” he told ABC Radio.

“Fundamentally, we have reached an agreement with the Biden administration about how Australia requires the nuclear-powered submarine capability and we’re proceeding along that path with pace.”

US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy said there was no risk to the deal.

“This legislation was always expected to take some time, I don’t think it’s right to say it’s stalled,” she told ABC Radio.

“There is absolutely bipartisan support in the US for AUKUS and for the Australia alliance, which is really one of our strongest.”

Labor is facing its own internal division over the AUKUS agreement, with a number of branches voting against the security pact.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Australia for several days of high-level talks.

Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have travelled to Brisbane to meet them, with regional security and climate action at the top of the agenda.

The ministers will hold an official meeting with their US counterparts on Saturday.

The China factor

Mr Albanese met with his two senior ministers, Mr Blinken and Mr Austin on Friday for a working lunch.

Afterwards, Mr Albanese said the relationship between Australia and the US had never been stronger.

“Australia and the United States are working together to promote security, stability and prosperity in our region,” the Prime Minister said.

“You are great friends of our country and you have an ambassador who is doing a wonderful job as well, it must be said.”

Senator Wong said co-operation in the Indo-Pacific was key to the discussions.

“The US are indispensable to the balance in the region and how we make sure we get the region we want – peaceful, stable and prosperous where sovereignty is respected,” she said.

The US ambassador also raised the spectre of China’s rise.

“There is a change in Chinese behaviour in this region and the United States is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Ms Kennedy said.

“We want to preserve the stability and the prosperity that the rules based order has provided.”

-AAP