Prime Minister Rudd meets President Barroso

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd met with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and a number of other Commissioners including External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, and Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, on 2 April 2008.

Joint Statement by President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd

Australia and the EU share common values and close historical, political, economic and cultural ties. We face many common challenges in foreign and security, and trade and economic policy areas. In meeting these challenges we recognise the value of regular and frank dialogue and close cooperation. We discussed today how we can strengthen and develop our work together on a range of issues such as international trade, climate change, the Pacific region, and international security threats. We believe our cooperation will exemplify how the international community must work together to achieve lasting solutions to our most difficult challenges.

We have agreed

• To promote a new era of creative engagement between Australia and the EU
• To reaffirm our resolve to bring the Doha trade negotiations to a successful conclusion this year and emphasise the shared interest we have in achieving an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive outcome that creates new trade opportunities in agriculture, industrial goods and services among and between developed and developing countries.
• To work closely together in implementing the Kyoto Protocol and forging a comprehensive post 2012 global agreement on climate change that will deliver the deep cuts in emissions the world requires. There is no greater threat to the global environment than climate change.
• To coordinate regularly on our work on development and security issues in East Asia and the Pacific region, especially on issues such as climate change and deforestation.
• To cooperate in the fight against terrorism, including tackling terrorist financing effectively and promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding.
• To intensify our work to upgrade EU-Australia relations through a new Partnership Framework, including priorities for cooperation on international security, trade, development issues, the Asia-Pacific region, climate change and energy, science and education, aviation and movement of people, including visas.

In this respect, we note progress already underway in negotiations on a Passenger Name Record agreement, as well as our joint objective of achieving progress towards a comprehensive aviation agreement.

Photo gallery (high resolution shots available from http://www.ec.europa.eu/avservices/home/index_en.cfm

http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2008/interview_0165.cfm

http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2008/interview_0164.cfm

http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Speech/2008/speech_0162.cfm

Official information of the European Commission is available at any time at http://europa.eu/rapid/