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Australia to begin talks on security, defence with EU
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Quick Summary
Australia and the EU are set to negotiate a security and defence partnership, with hopes for a trade deal. Talks follow meetings at the G7 summit.
Australia to begin talks on security, defence with EU
By Alasdair Pal and Kirsty Needham
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday the country would commence negotiations on a security and defence partnership with the European Union, and was also hopeful of a "symbolically important" trade deal.
Albanese met with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on the sidelines of the G7 summit where they discussed the EU proposal for a defence partnership.
"We see this as an important framework for our current and future cooperation in areas like defence industry, cyber and counter-terrorism," Albanese told a news conference in Kananaskis where he is attending the G7 summit.
Ministers from both sides will progress the talks in the coming weeks, Albanese said, adding he expected discussions to be concluded "pretty quickly".
The EU struck defence partnerships with Japan and South Korea in November.
EU officials have previously said these are not military alliances.
Albanese said he was hopeful that recently revived negotiations for a separate free trade agreement with the European Union would result in a deal.
"At this time its also symbolically important to see an outcome of an expansion of trade, because that is something that is going through difficult times at the moment," he told reporters.
Albanese said "half" of the outstanding issues had been resolved, although Australia wanted to see greater access for its sheep and beef exports to Europe.
Albanese met with senior U.S. trade officials, after the Australian leader's scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump was cancelled when Trump left the G7 a day early.
Australia has highlighted its abundance of critical minerals in negotiations with the United States as it seeks to have U.S. tariffs lifted.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Tom Hogue and Shri Navaratnam)
Key Takeaways
- •Australia and EU to negotiate a security and defence partnership.
- •Talks include potential trade deal discussions.
- •Albanese met EU leaders at the G7 summit.
- •Australia seeks better access for exports to Europe.
- •EU has similar partnerships with Japan and South Korea.
Frequently Asked Questions about Australia to begin talks on security, defence with EU
1What did Prime Minister Albanese announce regarding the EU?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia would begin negotiations on a security and defence partnership with the European Union.
2What areas will the Australia-EU partnership focus on?
The partnership will focus on cooperation in areas like defence industry, cyber security, and counter-terrorism.
3What is the status of the free trade agreement negotiations?
Albanese expressed hope that the recently revived negotiations for a free trade agreement with the EU would result in a deal, noting that half of the outstanding issues had been resolved.
4How does Australia view its trade relationship with the EU?
Albanese indicated that achieving an expansion of trade with the EU is symbolically important, especially during challenging economic times.
5What recent partnerships has the EU established?
The EU has previously struck defence partnerships with Japan and South Korea in November.
