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00:00 Let's get a US perspective now and we can speak to France 24's Fraser Jackson who joins us from Washington.
00:05 Fraser, I mean there is a something of a diplomatic tussle now between
00:09 Canberra, the Australian capital, and Washington. Tell us what this is about and who's saying what?
00:15 Yeah, well Julian Assange is of course as an Australian citizen born in Australia
00:22 and that means that Canberra has been effectively advocating on his behalf.
00:27 Australia has been getting closer to the US in recent years.
00:30 We saw them sign that orcas deal about the nuclear-powered submarines, a deal between the US, Australia and of course the UK.
00:37 And we also saw that Prime Minister Albanese was here in Washington in October for a state visit as well
00:44 with Joe Biden. Now Julian Assange's fate has been a point of contention however in that relationship.
00:50 We heard from Prime Minister Albanese that he raised Assange's case with Joe Biden multiple times
00:56 while he was here in Washington both in an informal meeting as well as in a discussion
01:01 in the Oval Office and also in a formal meeting with Cabinet Secretaries as well.
01:07 Now Albanese said that he quote "made it clear that enough is enough" and that it was time it was brought to a conclusion.
01:14 The Australian Attorney General has also raised concerns with his counterpart here in the US Murray Garland
01:20 saying that the government's position on Mr. Assange is very clear. It hasn't changed.
01:24 It's time this matter is brought to an end. That's what Mr. Dreyfus said.
01:29 And there even is something that's still ongoing now.
01:32 That meeting between the Attorneys General was just last month in January but as recently as last week
01:38 the Australian Parliament met and passed a resolution calling for Assange's release.
01:44 That was something that was supported by the Prime Minister Albanese who after it said
01:48 it's not up to Australia to interfere in the legal processes of other countries
01:52 but it is appropriate for us to put our very strong view that those countries need to take into account
01:57 the need for this to be concluded. So a bit of a sticky point there between Australia and the United States.
02:02 Okay Fraser Jackson in Washington. Thank you very much indeed for bringing us all the latest.