Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission op Linkedin.com:
Er zit vast ook wel een scherp randje ergens verborgen, maar ook deze overeenkomst geeft mij weer wat hoop betreffende de mensheid, terecht dan wel onterecht.Today, after almost a decade of work, we have concluded the EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Europe and Australia are long-standing friends and allies.
We believe in the power of openness and partnership.
We believe that prosperity is driven by free and fair trade.
We believe that peace is built on rules, and that our security is interconnected.
Even though we live in different hemispheres, we are also joining forces to defend them.
And work hand in hand to strengthen our democracies.