On his first visit to Europe since taking office in May, the Labor leader said there needed to be “some progress” early next year for the “critical” deal to continue.
“These discussions have basically stalled,” he said on Tuesday, following a bilateral meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at a bilateral meeting at the Palacio de la Moncloa. It is the first visit by the Australian Prime Minister to Europe since he took office. (Alex Ellinghausen)
“There has only been one discussion in the last 12 months, which is not how these agreements progress until their completion.”
Albanese blamed two key obstacles to an agreement, both main points of difference between his government and that of his predecessor.
“One was Australia’s relationship with France and the rupture that had occurred in recent times given France’s leadership role in Europe,” he said, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid.
“And the second was Australia’s position on climate change, where the perception by Europe and, indeed, the world, that Australia was a handbrake for global action on climate change, it was clearly hindering our ability to enter into economic relations with our European friends. “
Albanese earlier this month fulfilled Labor’s election promise to raise Australia’s emissions reduction target by 2030 under the Paris Agreement of 28% under Morrison’s government to 43% .
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses the media during a visit to Madrid, Spain, to attend the NATO leaders’ summit. (Alex Ellinghausen)
Albanese said climate change had been “noticed” and Sanchez praised the new commitment in a joint statement by both leaders.
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Albanese said he planned to raise free trade negotiations with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte later on Tuesday (AEST Wednesday) and with other EU leaders during his visit.
He met with Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol later the day before a dinner of NATO leaders at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
Along with Albanese, leaders from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea are participating for the first time in a NATO summit, as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.
Firefighters from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine are working to remove the remains of the burned mall after a rocket attack on Kremenchuk. (Photo AP / Efrem Lukatsky) (AP)
“Putin is uniting the world against him”
Earlier in the day, Albanese revealed that Australia was considering following the example of countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom to reopen its embassy in Kyiv.
European leaders called the attack a war crime and a terrorist attack. He was quickly condemned by the leaders of the Group of Seven gathered in Europe at the time.
“This is a civilian target,” Albanese said.
“This reinforces the atrocities being committed in this illegal war of aggression by Russia and why it must stop.
“It is one of the reasons I am here in NATO and I will focus on the democratic nations that make up NATO and also on the four Asia-Pacific nations that have been invited to this important forum.”
He would continue to take security advice after the latest Russian bombing, which included attacks on Kyiv.
“The world just looks at what’s going on there and condemns it collectively,” he said.
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“Because this war of aggression is seeing more and more civilians affected.
“And Vladimir Putin is uniting the world against him with this kind of atrocity.”