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May The Fourth Be With Trump And Turnbull

The two leaders are meeting for the first time next week.

CANBERRA -- Now that "dumb" refugee swap deal, as Donald Trump called it, has been confirmed by the United States, the U.S President and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull are looking to move beyond THAT testy first phone call.

You know the one, the call Trump called "the worst by far" of his early Oval Office calls with foreign leaders?

It has been confirmed by the White House and -- soon after -- by the Prime Minister's office that the two leaders will meet on board an aircraft carrier in New York next week, May the 4th, in the pair's first face-to-face encounter.

The meeting will be just days after the U.S President marks his 100th day in office on Saturday and several days before the Treasurer delivers the Federal Budget in Canberra.

Turnbull said he is "delighted" to be meeting with Trump and plans to "reaffirm" the U.S-Australia alliance while attending commemorations for the 75th Battle of the Coral Sea.

"My meeting with President Trump will provide an opportunity to reaffirm our alliance and the United States' engagement with the Asia-Pacific," the Prime Minister said in a statement.

"It closely follows my visit to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and comes at a time when our region faces a serious threat from a reckless and dangerous regime in North Korea.

"I look forward to discussing these and many other issues with President Trump in New York on 4 May."

Earlier White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who infamously mispronounced Turnbull as "Trumble" earlier this year, broke the news of the coming bilateral meeting.

"The President looks forward to meeting the Prime Minister and showcasing the enduring bonds, deep friendship and close alliance the U.S. has with Australia," Spicer said.

Turnbull met with U.S. Defence Secretary James Mattis in the Afghan capital, Kabul during a surprise visit to Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan on Sunday and Monday.

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