At the G7 leaders’ summit in Alberta (Canada) on Tuesday 17 June, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, agreed to begin negotiations with the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on a security and defence partnership.
The aim of the partnership is to provide a framework for cooperation on global security challenges in areas such as the defence industry, cyber security and the fight against terrorism. However, it does not include any obligation for military deployment, as stated in an EU Council press release.
In the Indo-Pacific region, the EU has recently signed security and defence partnerships with South Korea and Japan (see EUROPE 13517/10).
Discussions in Alberta also focused on a shared commitment to concluding a free trade agreement between Australia and the EU. However, negotiations on the security and defence partnership will remain separate from those on the free trade agreement.
“Australia is an important partner for the European Union. We share the same values and a strong commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based world order”, said António Costa.
Anthony Albanese, for his part, welcomed the EU’s proposal, saying that Australia “will accept it enthusiastically and get on with it immediately”.
“At this time of global uncertainty, it is our collective responsibility to work together to preserve peace, security and economic prosperity”, he added. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)