by Tom Pountney
CANBERRA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Wednesday Australia will push for expanded access to Europe's agricultural markets in free trade talks with the European Union.
Turnbull made the remarks after EU member states gave the green light for negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides to start within weeks.
At a media conference on Wednesday, Turnbull said the comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), once ratified, would help to drive Australian exports, economic growth and create new Australian jobs.
"(This is) a huge achievement, a multilateral agreement in these times where protectionism has some support in some parts of the world," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
The prime minister insisted any deal would bring benefits to farmers in both markets.
"With more trade between Australia and Europe there are opportunities for European farmers and Australian farmers," Turnbull said. "Trade creates jobs, and it creates jobs everywhere. It's not a zero sum game."
He said a European agreement would potentially be Australia's biggest free-trade deal once concluded.
Asked about European resistance to reducing agricultural barriers, including French President Emanuel Macron's assurances that French farmers would not be affected, Turnbull said Australia imported more agricultural products from Europe than it exported.
That fact "tells you a lot about how relatively little access Australian farmers have to Europe," he said. "There is a huge amount of scope for more access to the European market."
Turnbull praised Macron, saying that he and German chancellor Angela Merkel had pushed to allow EU negotiations with Australia to get under way.
Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo described as "terrific" news that the EU had published the draft mandates to open negotiations.
"It's my objective to try to conclude negotiations as quickly as possible," Ciobo said on Tuesday night.
"We will be aiming for a high quality, comprehensive agreement that represents a positive win-win outcome, that's good for Europe, good for Australia and most importantly good for workers."
The EU is Australia's second-largest trading partner and services export market and third-largest export destination, with around 53.6 billion U.S. dollars a year in bilateral trade, split roughly 50-50 between goods and services.
This figure includes trade with Britain, which will no longer be an EU member by the time the trade deal comes into effect.
Australia's National Farmers Federation President Fiona Simson said that Australian farmers have been a net exporter everywhere except the EU.
"A comprehensive and high-quality agreement could substantially improve market access for Australian agricultural products," she said. "Australia exports about 75 percent of its agricultural produce and our farmers are amongst the least subsidised in the world."
