Australia: Remarks of High-Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas following the virtual signing ceremony of the EU-Australia Security and Defence Partnership

Dear Deputy Prime Minister Marles, dear Minister Wong,

Dear Richard, dear Penny,

Australia is one of Europe’s closest partners. Today, by signing this Security and Defence Partnership, we are raising our cooperation to a new level.

Australia and Europe are oceans apart, but security in Europe and Australia is tightly linked. If Russia prevails in Ukraine, it will set a dangerous precedent for the Indo-Pacific. That is why I want to thank Australia for its strong support for Ukraine. The fastest way to end the war is more pressure on Russia and more support for Ukraine.

In the Indo-Pacific, China’s growing assertiveness shows that we must be ready to stand up for our interests together. Protecting freedom of navigation matters in the Strait of Hormuz, but it also matters in the South China Sea.

The European Union is stepping up its presence in the Indo-Pacific by expanding trade, strengthening security ties, and investing in green and digital cooperation. And we are doing so with partners we trust. Australia is certainly one of them. 

With the new agreement, we will hold joint exercises, share information, strengthen resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and deepen cooperation from crisis response to maritime security.

We will work to uphold international law, push back against those who do not, and invest in the technologies shaping tomorrow’s security, from AI to space.

Dear Deputy Prime Minister,

Dear Foreign Minister,

Thank you once again.

Our Partnership is a strategic investment in Europe’s and Australia’s – in our joint security. Because in a more dangerous world, strong partnerships are our best defence.