Podcast: China and Europe in Aussie diplomats’ sights

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has told The Australian Ag Podcast the Federal Government was committed to securing a lucrative trade deal for farmers with Brussels.

Australia is pushing for a lucrative trade deal with Europe, but has not lost sight on repairing relations with China, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says.

Mr Watt told The Australian Ag Podcast – out today – that he has been liaising with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell about what could be done to repair the nation’s broken relationship with China, having fielded numerous requests from farmers and farming lobby groups to lay the groundwork for trade to recommence for a range of industries whose access has been restricted for some years now.

Murray Watt joined by agriculture industry leaders, union leaders and agriculture business leaders for an announcement at the Jobs and Skills Summit at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Everyone can see that our new government has tried to stabilise that relationship. I think it’s been a healthy thing that we’ve been able to have some high level meetings in a way the former government was not able to,” Mr Watt said.

“But we’ve made it very clear that we’re not going to sacrifice Australia’s national interests or values in the process of repairing that relationship,” Mr Watt said.

“I don’t think it’s going to be changing overnight but it’s at least a healthy thing that some discussions are starting to happen.”

Mr Watt said diplomats were taking a tough stance with negotiators from Brussels to secure the best deal for farmers from a New Australia-Europe free trade agreement.

The next round of negotiations – the twelfth – will take place next month.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said new commercially meaningful market access for beef and sheep meat into the EU was a key priority for Australia in the negotiations.

“I know there’s a lot of excitement in the ag community about what possibilities there are in

Europe and Brussels aren’t necessarily the easiest people to negotiate with but we’re going to be taking a very strong position there,” Mr Watt said.

“There’s the opportunity for access to really good premium markets that we want to see our farmers to get access to.”