(BRUSSELS) - EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced Wednesday an agreement to upgrade relations through a new partnership deal.

Rudd, in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit in Bucharest, said his main purpose in visiting the EU headquarters in Brussels for the first time was "to symbolise the importance of establishing a new broad-based relationship with the European Commission and the European Union".

The Australian leader stressed Europe's importance and said "we in Australia wish to partner with our friends in Europe in many areas of common endeavour".

Barroso, meeting Rudd for the first time, told a joint press conference that "we really want to give an important upgrade to relations".

The pair put out a joint statement, a rarity for the EU Commission chief and a foreign leader, stressing Europe and Australia's "common values and close historical, political, economic and cultural ties."

They agree in the statement "to intensify our work to upgrade EU-Australia relations through a new Partnership Framework, including priorities for cooperation on international security, trade, development issues, the Asia-Pacific region, climate change and energy, science and education, aviation and the movement of people, including visas".

Barroso said the EU-Australia relationship was "a key partnership both for Australia and for Europe".

"I think we both have a lot to gain in joining forces and exchanging experiences on a number of topics of global concern."

"We have noticed with satisfaction the emphasis the prime minister is placing on effective multilateralism," he added. "Together we can have a resounding influence on critical issues such as climate change."

On security issues "Australia is showing a growing sense of engagement and leadership. This is particularly clear in Australia's neighbourhood in the Pacific region and in East Timor," he said.

He added that working together they could engage "other important partners on this difficult dossier including China and Indonesia".

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