WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here on Monday that his country will keep its alliance with the United States and stay in Afghanistan "for the long haul."

    "Australia takes its alliance with the United States very seriously," Rudd told reporters as he joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a meeting at the State Department.

    "That's why we have been with America for a long time in Afghanistan and why we will be with America for the long haul," Rudd said.

    However, the Australian leader did not say that Australia would send more troops to Afghan battlefields as U.S. President Barack Obama is due to announce a new strategy about Afghanistan war on Tuesday.

    Australia, one of major allies of the United States, has been joining the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, and deployed about 1,550 troops in the country, ranking the ninth biggest contributor of international forces fighting in Afghanistan since 2001.