Brussels, 28/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 29 October, the EU ministerial troika (Bernard Kouchner, Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner) and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith meet to formally endorse the new EU-Australia partnership framework. Bilateral relations are currently based on the 1997 joint declaration and the 2003 cooperation agenda, now merged into a single partnership framework based on five main goals: to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on shared foreign policy and global security interests; to promote the multilateral rules-based trading system, and expand the bilateral trade and investment relationship; to enhance cooperation and coordination in the Asia and Pacific regions; to cooperate on energy issues and climate change; to strengthen cooperation in research, education and innovation and facilitate exchanges of people). (H.B./transl.rh)