Source : Perth Now news
Anthony Albanese and the EU’s top-ranking officials have pledged to “explore the potential” for deeper ties amid talk of Australian becoming an “associate member” of the bloc.
The Prime Minister met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on the sidelines of the UN overnight.
They canvassed a range of issues, according to a joint statement, from the free trade deal and security pact agreed this year to work on critical minerals and “actions to protect young people from dangers associated with social media”.
Against a backdrop of global trade turmoil and conflicts raging across the world, they “underscored the value of the EU and Australia’s alignment on key geopolitical developments”.
“They discussed a number of current geopolitical issues, including the need to continue to support Ukraine in all areas, the situation in the Middle East and Iran as well as relations with China and the Pacific,” the statement said.
The leaders also broached “deepening co-operation on economic security including addressing economic coercion, non-market policies and practices and in the safeguarding, managing risks and governance of critical and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence”.
“They agreed to remain in close contact with a view to explore the potential for further strengthening and deepening of EU-Australia relations,” the statement said.
It came after another senior EU official suggested Australia and New Zealand could be offered associate membership – a status that does not yet exist but Ms von der Leyen last week said she wanted to pursue with Canada.
From what has been floated, associate membership would include much deeper access to the €18 trillion ($A29 trillion) European single market and greater freedom of movement for travellers between Canada and the EU.
Canberra has given mixed signals on whether it would be interested, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying Australia’s relationship with the EU is “fit for purpose” and the Albanese government’s priority is the Pacific.
“We start with our region,” she told News24 on Monday.
