EU and Australia plans to sign free trade agreement

They discussed cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, the Australia Assist program in Iraq and highlighted the importance of pursuing the free trade agreement between EU and Australia.

Australia and the European Union have expressed a desire to enter into a free trade agreement in a meeting on August 8. Both countries are ready to agree upon a number of measures to promote trade.

Federica Mogherini, The EU Commision vice president met Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as part of her official tour of Asia and Oceania to ponder upon regional and global challenges. In the process strengthen relations with nations in the region.

They discussed cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, the Australia Assist program in Iraq and highlighted the importance of pursuing the free trade agreement between EU and Australia. They also discussed the progress of a framework agreement signed last year. The framework aims to enhance cooperation and communication on issues of terrorism, nonproliferation, environment, human rights, migration and trade, education, science, research, and innovation.

The agreement is currently being reviewed by the Australian parliament.

Australia also announced the deployment of civilian experts to the EU mission in Iraq, under the EU's Common Security and Defence policy.

"We will be providing a civilian element to the EU's mission in Iraq. Again we share a common vision of the outcome in Iraq. We want to see a peaceful, stable, democratic Iraq, and the EU has a specific mission there and we have agreed to be part of it, to bolster it, to support it and provide civilian assistance," Bishop said.