Australian PM Says EU Trade Deal Is ‘Symbolically Important’

Expanding trade ties between Australia and the European Union would be “symbolically important” in an environment of rising protectionism, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday, as the two sides also plan talks on a defense agreement.

Albanese told reporters he held trilateral discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa of the European Council on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada. The security partnership — which he said he hopes to conclude “pretty quickly” — will be an important framework for co-operation in defense, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism. It does not have military deployment obligations.