Von der Leyen Summit Speech: EU Backs Multilateralism With 80 Trade Agreements

European Commission President von der Leyen spoke at the Summit in Support of Multilateralism in New York, stressing the importance of partnerships in a fractured world and noting the EU is expanding its network of trade agreements, now numbering 80, including India, Australia, Mercosur and Indonesia. She said these partnerships bring prosperity and economic security and serve as a platform for shared standards, shared rules and support for the WTO and its reform. She also called the UN indispensable, citing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and said the EU supports the UN80 initiative for a simpler, more efficient United Nations.