CANBERRA, Apr. 8 (Xinhua) -- A leading member of the British government has said there is a "very high likelihood" that Britain and Australia will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) in the near future.
Speaking during a visit to Australia's Gold Coast for the opening of the Commonwealth Games, Graham Stuart, Britain's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, said that trade with Australia would be a priority for his country as it moved to leave the European Union (EU).
Bilateral trade between Britain and Australia is currently worth 24 billion Australian dollars (18.4 billion U.S. dollars) annually, a figure that would grow in a post-FTA environment.
Stuart dismissed the concerns over the impact that Brexit would have on Australia, saying it could prove an "enormous economic opportunity."
"It's fair to say Australia is a top priority for us and I know from speaking to (Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull) that it is a top priority for Australia as well," Stuart told News Corp Australia on Saturday.
"After the vote on the European referendum, the first country in the world we set up a trade working group with was indeed Australia.
"We are really pleased with the discussions that have gone on so far. We will have another meeting of the trade working group shortly, building on the previous ones."
He said that the proactive approach of Turnbull and the close trade, security and political relationships between the two countries made an FTA likely.
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