Australia forging ahead on European alliances

Australia is linking with European leaders and organisations at an unprecedented level.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Picture: AFP

Australia is linking with European leaders and organisations at an unprecedented level because of success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and Scott Morrison’s push against China for a global inquiry into its origin.

Direct leadership contact between­ the Prime Minister and a host of European national and organisatio­nal leaders has ballooned in recent weeks amid negotiations for new trade deals with the EU and Britain after Brexit, and rising strategic concerns about China.

Since the beginning of April, Mr Morrison has had virtual meetings with more than a dozen European national and organisation leaders, talking to some three or four times. The leaders include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, EU president Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of The Netherlands Mark Rutte.

Among meetings with other national leaders, Mr Morrison has had talks with US President ­Donald Trump and numerous conversations with New Zealand Prime Minister ­Jacinda Ardern.

Although concentrating on the health response to the pandemic, the so-called “first movers” group has allocated responsib­ility to each nation, with Australia adopting the health inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. The group has also worked on securing new supply lines for essential items independent of China.

Other priority areas the new group agreed to were cyber systems implications, scientific research­ and education, particularly the reopening of schools and universities.

After an initial virtual meeting of leaders from some of the best-­performing nations against the coronavirus crisis, organised by the young Austrian Chancellor Mr Kurz, Mr Morrison has joined three of the sessions, which have also included Israel and Singapore.

Mr Morrison publicly thanked Mr Kurz “for hosting this valuable exchange on fighting COVID-19” and said it emphasised “the need for continued strong co-operation and collaboration on research for a vaccine, supply chains and combating the virus, as well as streng­thening our economies again”.

After the coronavirus meeting the range of subjects discussed has expanded. Last Thursday, Mr Morrison spoke to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven about responses to COVID-19 but also discussed doing more on digitisation, technology, rare earths, supply chains and reforms to world trade.

Mr Morrison, Josh Frydenberg and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham are also working with Britain and other close intelligence partners, the US, Canada and New Zealand, on COVID-19 responses, as well as trade and securit­y aspects of the pandemic.

NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg called last week for closer Australian and New Zealand links with NATO because “the rise of China makes it even more important”.

Mr Stoltenberg agreed to upgrad­e relations with Australia and NATO while in Canberra last Augus­t.