CANBERRA, September 17, 2025 – Foreign Minister Penny Wong has declared that Australia and Europe are united in their efforts to uphold peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, framing the partnership as crucial to defending the international rules-based order.
Senator Wong’s address to EU Ambassadors in Canberra on Wednesday night followed the conclusion of the 7th Australia-EU Joint Committee Meeting, a high-level annual dialogue that coordinates the expanding bilateral relationship.
The meetings signal a significant deepening of strategic ties between Australia and the 27-nation bloc, a partnership that has gained considerable momentum since the ratification of the landmark EU-Australia Framework Agreement in 2022. This pact provided the architecture for enhanced cooperation on security, trade, and climate, driven by a shared concern over geopolitical instability and a commitment to a rules-based global system.
A Shared Stance on Global Challenges
In her speech, Senator Wong underscored the interconnectedness of European and Indo-Pacific security. “We are working together to uphold peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as well as the international rules and norms that protect us all,” she told the assembled diplomats.
This sentiment was echoed in the official discussions, which were co-chaired by senior officials from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the European External Action Service. Both sides welcomed the “accelerating momentum” in the relationship, which has been fortified by their aligned responses to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and a mutual interest in ensuring a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Ambitious Agenda for Cooperation
The Joint Committee Meeting laid out an ambitious roadmap for collaboration across several key areas:
- Security & Economics: The partners reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the core of the global trading system, agreeing to push for deep reforms to address modern trade challenges and bolster economic security.
- Clean Energy & Critical Minerals: With the COP30 climate summit on the horizon, both parties agreed to deepen cooperation on the green transition. This includes initiatives to accelerate the global clean energy transition, with Australia’s role as a supplier of critical minerals being a key component of the partnership.
- Pacific Engagement: Reflecting a strategic priority, the EU and Australia committed to continuing their joint work on sustainable development and disaster relief in the Pacific region.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to hold the next round of high-level talks in Brussels in 2026, ensuring the continued momentum of this increasingly vital strategic partnership.
