Australia and US discuss greater defence cooperation

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia foreign minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday she and defence minister Richard Marles discussed infrastructure, sustainable development, cyberspace, security and conflict prevention with their United States counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

"We have seen the depth of our alignment. We have seen the depth of our strategic trust, and we have also seen the sincerity of our friendship," Wong told a news conference in Annapolis, Maryland, which is hosting the AUSMIN dialogue between the two countries.

Austin said the two countries were increasing the presence of U.S. forces in Australia, which would lead to more U.S. bombers being deployed to Australia on a rotational basis.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal)