The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), represented by Acting Administrator John Barsa, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, represented by Secretary Frances Adamson, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. The signing of the MOU occurred on the margins of the 2020 Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in Washington, D.C., which underscored the two countries' shared efforts to advance an open, inclusive, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region, with an immediate focus on health security and economic recovery from the pandemic of COVID-19.

The MOU reaffirms the long-standing partnership between the two agencies and builds on the previous MOUs between USAID and DFAT signed in from 2010 and 2016. The MOU will leverage each agency's comparative advantage to support high-quality and sustainable development outcomes in partner countries through effective and accountable governance; infrastructure, energy, and digital connectivity; women's empowerment; resilience to environmental challenges; and access to basic social services such as health and education.

Prior to signing the MOU, Acting Administrator Barsa and Secretary Adamson exchanged views on the impact of COVID-19 on shared short- and long-term development priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.