Nadia Farooq
Tim Ayres, Australia’s assistant trade minister, has said that his top objective during the G20 trade and investment ministerial conference will be to restart the stagnant FTA negotiations with the European Union (EU).
Ayres said that EU representatives had so far “offered too little and asked too much” in discussions as he left for India’s ‘Pink City’ Jaipur on Wednesday, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The historic agreement’s negotiations came to an end in July following a disagreement on Australian farmers’ export access to the sizable EU market.
Ayres said an agreement would only be achievable with significant modifications to the EU’s import restrictions for beef. He will meet with his European counterpart as Australia’s envoy at the G20 trade and investment ministerial conference on Thursday and Friday.
Ministerial representatives from both sides have expressed hope that a settlement would be achieved despite the continued conflict.
The commerce minister, Don Farrell, said in July that discussions will be successfully ended with goodwill, diligence, and persistence.
His viewpoint was supported by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who said at a webinar hosted by Australian think tank the Lowy Institute on Tuesday night that both parties should now work to complete an FTA.
