Co Chairs Ulrike Müller (RENEW, DE) and Shayne Neumann discussed many topics on a full agenda. Amongst which, Ukraine - whereupon the Australians wished to congratulate the EU on their firm response on the Russian aggression. China: The new Australian cabinet is reported to have a more "constructive" approach to PRC. Yet, the delegation insisted that Canberra would still be assertive in defending the core values of democracy and human rights and in actively opposing all interferences by Beijing. FTA: Both parties agreed on the need to overcome persisting divisive issues and to speed up the conclusion of the negotiations. On climate change, the new Albanese government is right there with the EU, whom they praised as the world leaders against climate change. Digital space and digital cooperation and connectivity was debated at length. Both sides agreed that more cooperation be ensured in providing a higher level of data protection . The Australian delegation also visited the Parlamentarium and the House of European History which was much appreciated.
Source : © European Union, 2022 - EP