In the face of rising protectionism and Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, the European Parliament will call for more EU trade with like-minded partner countries.

For ECR MEP Jan Zahradil (Czech Republic), rapporteur of an own-initiative report on an Indo-Pacific strategy on trade and investment, which will be voted today, “the geopolitical and economic reality has changed drastically. It is therefore increasingly important to diversify the EU’s trade relations. We must seek partners who are not hostile to us, but who share our values to the extent that they see the added value of free trade without wanting to play power politics with it.”

Speaking ahead of the vote, Mr Zahradil continued:

“Looking at European supply chains, we should work more closely with countries like Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and the ASEAN countries on critical and emerging technologies, digital issues and commodities.

“The reorientation towards common values that we envision is nothing less than a fundamental transformation of trade relations. We want to create links that are more sustainable and reliable and that also serve to address global challenges such as the energy and food crises.

“We welcome the conclusion of the EU-New Zealand free trade agreement and expect the EU-Australia deal very soon. Likewise, we look forward to the recently restated talks with India and the talks with Indonesia. We should also redefine our relations with China and upgrade our relations with Taiwan, while respecting the One China policy.”