The European Union’s outgoing ambassador to Australia says the bloc remains ready and willing to sell Canberra military equipment to plug any capability gaps arising from the cancellation of a French submarine contract.
The first nuclear-propelled submarines to be delivered by the US or UK under the new AUKUS agreement will not be ready for more than a decade.
“There is a long-standing defence cooperation between European Union and Australia,” ambassador Michael Pulch told AAP in an interview.
“Frigate purchases, petrol boats … and armoured vehicles do come from Europe, and we continue to work together in that defence cooperation space….