美国总统唐纳德·特朗普派驻堪培拉的特使在首次官方活动中向澳大利亚士兵致敬。他在首都献上花圈，并赞扬美澳同盟。
US President Donald Trump’s envoy in Canberra has paid tribute to Australian soldiers as his first official act, laying a wreath in the capital and praising the US-Australia alliance.
戴维·布拉特本周向澳大利亚总督萨姆·莫斯廷递交国书，正式出任美国大使，填补了这个已空缺近两年的职位。
David Brat this week presented his credentials as US ambassador to Governor-General Sam Mostyn, filling a role left vacant for almost two years.
在华盛顿重新评估其全球安全承诺之际，他已将同澳大利亚的防务关系列为首要优先事项。
Arriving at a time when Washington is reassessing its global security commitments, he has flagged the defence relationship with Australia as a top priority.
周三参观澳大利亚战争纪念馆后，他说：“澳大利亚几十年来一直是我们最亲密的盟友和朋友。”
“Australia has been our closest ally and friend for generations,” he said after visiting the Australian War Memorial on Wednesday.
“以大使身份参观这样一座令人肃然起敬的纪念场所，我深感荣幸。”
“It’s an honour to visit such an awe-inspiring tribute as ambassador.”
布拉特表示，几十年来，无论战时还是和平时期，美国和澳大利亚士兵一直并肩作战、并肩而立。
Mr Brat said American and Australian soldiers “have fought side-by-side and stood shoulder-to-shoulder for decades in times of war and times of peace”.
他说：“我期待在驻澳大利亚期间，进一步推动我们长期建立的防务伙伴关系。”
“I look forward to furthering our longstanding defence partnership during my posting to Australia,” he said.
他还强调美澳经济关系，并宣称尽管特朗普政府大范围加征关税引发了紧张局势，这一关系“从未如此强大”。
He also highlighted the US-Australia economic relationship, declaring that it has “never been stronger” despite tensions spurred by the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs.
他说：“我们两国正以史无前例的程度相互投资，我们的经济纽带也从未如此牢固。”
“Our two nations are investing in each other more than ever before, and our economic ties have never been stronger,” he said.
“通过落实商业协议保持这一势头，是特朗普总统的首要优先事项。”
“Maintaining this momentum by delivering on commercial deals is a top priority for President Trump.”
布拉特先生是来自弗吉尼亚州的强硬派基督教保守人士，拥有经济学博士学位，职业生涯的大部分时间都从事学术研究和经济学工作。
A hardline Christian conservative from Virginia, Mr Brat holds a PhD in economics and has worked as an academic and economist of much of his career.
他于2010年代转向政坛，并在共和党初选中击败时任美国众议院多数党领袖埃里克·坎托，于2014年至2019年担任弗吉尼亚州第7选区的联邦众议员。
He turned to politics in the Twenty-Teens and represented Virginia’s 7th district from 2014 until 2019 after ousting then-US House majority leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary.