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SYDNEY : Australia said Tuesday it would "roll out the welcome mat" for Barack Obama at any time, after the United States president delayed and trimmed down his state visit to just over 24 hours.
Obama has pushed back the trip, during which he will address the joint houses of parliament and meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, as he attempts to shepherd his healthcare reforms through Congress.
Obama, who has also shelved plans to bring along his wife, Michelle, and two daughters for the trip to Indonesia and Australia, will arrive in Canberra late next Thursday and fly out again the following night.
"We welcome very much his arrival," Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told Sky News. "As the prime minister has said, any time President Obama wants to visit Australia, we're very pleased to roll out the welcome mat."
Smith said parliament, which will be recalled from a break for Obama's address, will not sit as planned on Monday and Tuesday next week but on Friday, March 26.
Washington officials have said Obama's visit will laud the US "model alliance" with Australia and cement the allies' common strategies on trade, the environment and security.
"Australia... is an increasingly important ally in both the region and the world," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.
Obama, who had been expected to visit Sydney, will now confine his trip to Canberra, where he will also hold a joint news conference with Rudd.
The United States is Australia's most important ally, with Canberra sending troops to fight alongside US soldiers in Afghanistan. The countries will mark the 70th anniversary of the US-Australia alliance during Obama's visit.
- AFP/vm
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