Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, currently in Washington for Quad discussions involving Australia, the United States, Japan, and India, held a private conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the postponed meeting.

Wong said Rubio “expressed his regret” that the meeting did not go ahead while she acknowledged that “these things do happen”.

“He expressed his regret for the fact that the meeting had to be rescheduled and I obviously said we completely understood,” she told Today.

“I think the world understood the president had a fair bit to do ahead of what was occurring in the Middle East.”

Following the G7 Summit, Albanese chose not to attend the NATO Summit in the Hague in late June, where Trump was in attendance. 

Wong sidestepped confirming whether or not there was a date on the books for a meeting between Albanese and Trump.

“We are working together on rescheduling the meeting. We’re both looking forward to the president and the prime minister meeting,” she said.

Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have all secured visits to the US.

With still no date for a meeting confirmed, concerns are growing around key issues threatening relations between the two countries.

The U.S. has urged Australia to increase its defense spending to 3.5 percent, noting that if European countries can boost their spending to five percent, Australia should be able to do so as well.

Trump has also ordered a review of AUKUS, the alliance between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, which Albanese has consistently tried to downplay.

“It’s a good deal for all three countries and we understand that this is normal practice for a new administration to want to look at these sorts of agreements,” Wong told Today.

The US’ 50 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium remain the headline of trade discussions. 

Wong, ahead of her trip to Washington, stressed the US was “our closest ally and principal strategic partner”.

“We will continue to work together to further our important economic and security partnership and advance our mutual interests,” she said in a statement on Monday.