“Australia’s strategic relationship with Europe continues to grow,” the Australian Deputy Prime Minister said

The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation’s (OCCAR) executive administration signed the General Security Agreement between OCCAR and the Government of Australia in Bonn last week.

The document was signed by OCCAR Director Joachim Sucker and countersigned by the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles.

The agreement follows negotiations between OCCAR and the Australian Defence Security Division, which commenced in 2022, after the organisation’s Board of Supervisors provided the body with the mandate to start negotiations.

This deal is another “important step in developing a long-lasting relationship between OCCAR and Australia,” the organisation said in a press release.

According to Marles: “Australia’s strategic relationship with Europe continues to grow, and this arrangement is a true reflection of our strategic and industrial ties. Participation in OCCAR programs reflects the Albanese Government’s emphasis on cost-effective and efficient acquisition of complex Defence capabilities.”

OCCAR is a European-based intergovernmental organisation that manages defence equipment production and sustainment programs for the benefit of its member states (including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain) and non-member states participating in OCCAR programs (including Australia, Finland, Sweden, Turkey and the Netherlands).

In August, OCCAR and the European Union formalised an agreement on protecting classified information. Earlier this year, the organisation signed other  General Security Agreements with Poland and Czech Republic in April and March, respectively.