Australian defence department chief to replace Kevin Rudd as US ambassador

SYDNEY, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday named the country’s defence department chief as the next ambassador to the U.S., after Kevin Rudd said he would step down following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Albanese said senior civil servant Greg Moriarty, currently secretary of the Department of Defence, would replace Rudd as ambassador to Washington.

“Mr Moriarty is I think an outstanding Australian public servant,” Albanese said in remarks on Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.

Rudd, a former prime minister who made critical comments about Trump before becoming ambassador, said earlier this month that he would leave the role a year earlier than expected, finishing his posting in March. In October, Trump criticised Rudd during an event at the White House saying: “I don’t like you either, and I probably never will.”

Albanese said the Trump administration had been informed of Moriarty’s selection and was happy with it.

(Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)