British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab seeks renewable energy technology deal

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will discuss a new renewable energy technology partnership with the Morrison government.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Picture: AFP

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will discuss a new renewable energy technology partner­ship with the Morrison govern­ment during a visit to Canberra this week, as he looks to turbocharge his country’s post-Brexit relationship with Australia.

A new free-trade agreement will also be high on the agenda during the visit — Mr Raab’s first stop on a post-Brexit tour of Southeast Asia — as well as ­potential improvements to working visa access to both countries.

Mr Raab, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top-ranked minister, will meet Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham during the visit to get to work on a range of new initiatives.

British high commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell said a focus on renewable energy technology and clean economies “are areas where Britain can lead and work with the Australian government”. “New technology is really important for the century to come, on how we deal with delivering energy to our communities and the world,” she told Sky News.

“There are opportunities to create new jobs, to create new ­industries. So that will be an area of focus for us with the Australian government.” Britain has a much more ambitious commitment to cutting carbon pollution — pledging to get close to net-zero emissions by 2050 — and is also hosting the next UN climate conference in Glasgow this year.

Ms Treadell said the Johnson government would encourage Australia to improve its climate policies while respecting its ­national circumstances.

“Australia is a close friend. So we have honest conversations with friends,” she said. The visit comes as negotiations get under way for a new Australia-UK trade deal, which Ms Treadell said she hoped would be sealed in a little over a year.

Improved working visa access was also on the table, she said. “We want to attract the best talent to the UK. So, we need young Australians to work in the city of London across all our business and industry. We want them to feel free to come to the UK,” she said.