British News Agency

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Australian Parliament House and signed agreements that will strengthen economic and scientific ties between the two regions.

Emphasizing Australia’s role in the global energy transition, von der Leyen said: “Australia is one of the world’s most important producers of critical raw materials. In contrast, Europe is one of the largest consumers. Therefore, today we reached agreement on four major projects covering the production of rare earth elements, lithium and tungsten.”

Von der Leyen also shared a step that will elevate cooperation in science and technology to a higher level: “We also agreed to start negotiations on Australia’s participation in Europe’s leading innovation program, Horizon!”