The programme took our visitors to NSW and WA, starting in Sydney, with bilateral meetings and roundtable discussions on the future of AI-tech, regional defence and economic security assessments and measures, and approaches to strengthening the substance of the EU–Australia partnership to generate concrete outcomes.
In Perth, our visitors attended the Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference (IODS) and engaged in a series of bilateral meetings with policymakers and (defence) industry representatives. The discussions highlighted a growing interest from Australian companies to expand their footprints into Europe, either through cooperation and joint projects with EU companies or by engaging in EU initiatives such as SAFE.
At the conference, MEP Zovko participated in a panel discussion on ‘A New Era of EU-Australia Partnership’, hosted by the EU Delegation, providing insights into EU security considerations and policymaking. Both Australia and Europe recognise that events in one region affect development and strategic considerations in the other.
A particular highlight of the Perth programme was a visit of No 2 Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce. Here, the delegates met some of the German Tornado weapons system officers currently being trained as jet pilots. The programme is a result of a Declaration of Intent signed by Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, head of the Luftwaffe, and his RAAF counterpart Air Marshal Stephen Chappell in 2024.
In light of the recently signed EU-AUS FTA and the EU-Australia Security and Defence Partnership, MEP Zovko’s visit offered a valuable opportunity to gather first-hand insights and feedback on perceptions of EU–Australia relations to inform the Rapporteur’s upcoming report.
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.