RaymondPierreL3Source: The Guardian — Live at 11.05 AEDT
“Albanese and Von der Leyen greenlight free trade agreement and defence pact
It’s official, negotiations have concluded on the free trade agreement between the EU and Australia, with the deal soon to be officially signed.
In a joint statement released moments ago, Anthony Albanese and Urusula von der Leyen welcomed the conclusion of negotiations and said the agreement will “strengthen bilateral trade and investment, support economic growth, and reinforce the shared commitment of Australia and the European Union to open and rules-based trade”.
The two sides will “now take forward their respective domestic processes required for signature and entry into force”.
The statement says the defence and security agreement will include “defence industry cooperation, cyber and economic security, and counterterrorism”.
These pillars of cooperation recognise the value of a strong Australia-European Union partnership in addressing shared global challenges and supporting prosperity and security and allow for deepened engagement between Australia and the European Union.
The pair will shortly speak to the media, before the European Commission president addresses parliament.”