Canberra, April 18 -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday called for de-escalation in West Asia and the reopening of the critical Strait of Hormuz, stressing the need to keep the route free from tolls and privatisation amid the ongoing conflict.

In a post on X, following his participation in a virtual Leaders' Summit on the Strait of Hormuz co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Albanese said 49 countries had come together with a "consistent approach" focused on ensuring freedom of navigation.

He said, "Last night, I joined the Strait of Hormuz freedom of navigation summit. There were 49 countries participated. There was a consistent approach. We want to see de-escalation." ...