A special summit to celebrate 50 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner in 1974 is taking place in Melbourne city on March 4 – 6, focusing on the discussion of partnerships for the future.
Themed “A Partnership for the Future”, the summit is being held against the backdrop of the dynamic cooperation between ASEAN and Australia across various fields. Leaders will discuss measures to boost ASEAN-Australia cooperation, the vision of both sides regarding the regional future, and how they can collaborate to address common challenges.
Before the plenary session, a series of meetings and events will be held on March 4 -5, bringing together community and business leaders, experts, and scholars from Australia and ASEAN, featuring issues related to challenges, opportunities, and practical cooperation in maritime affairs, green economy, and marine ecology; the transition to clean energy; and clean energy supply chains to ensure energy security amid rapid transition to renewable energy, among others.
Additionally, dialogues of leaders from emerging countries on geopolitical risks in the Indo-Pacific and how to promote regional recovery, the role of ASEAN-Australia trade and investment activities, and a workshop of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the ASEAN consumer market, future of food and agricultural technology, supply chains and investment, and solutions to foster economic connectivity will be also arranged.
With numerous discussions on common challenges facing the region and opportunities to strengthen cooperation and prosperity for both sides, and considering how ASEAN-Australia can build enduring relationships, the summit offers a an opportunity for the two sides to review their cooperative achievements over the past five decades, thus setting directions for future cooperation to align with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established.
In a pre-conference statement, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasised that building relationships with Southeast Asian countries is a top priority of the Australian Government./.
