A plenary session of the ASEAN - Australia Special Summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia dialogue relations in Melbourne on March 6. (Photo: VNA) Melbourne (VNA) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on March 6 issued the “Melbourne Declaration reaffirming theircommitment to securing peace, stability, prosperity and a sustainable futurefor the region.
The declaration was released at the ASEAN - Australia Special Summit marking 50years since Australia became ASEAN's first Dialogue Partner, which has freshlyconcluded in Melbourne.
The leaders committed to working together to address sharedchallenges while embracing opportunities that will benefit all who live in ourregion.
PM Albanese and the ASEAN leaders set out the next 50 yearsof their enduring partnership to promote an open, inclusive and transparentregion with ASEAN at the centre.
They sketched out their shared aspirations for the region'sfuture, committing to work together to contribute to the maintenance of peaceand stability, as well as enhance cooperation for sustainable development andprosperity in the region. They identified areas of practical cooperation forthe future, ranging from deepening economic and socio-cultural ties tostrengthening educational and environmental cooperation. These outcomesreinforce Australia's commitment to Southeast Asia and ASEAN – now, and intothe future.
At a joint press conference with Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone following thesummit, PM Albanese announced the establishment of an ASEAN-Australia Centre inCanberra, which will be put into operations on July 1, becoming a focal point forengagement with ASEAN and promote greater Southeast Asia cultural literacy inAustralia.
He also announced the provision of more than 75 newAus4ASEAN scholarships, some of which will be co-funded by Australianuniversities, and 55 fellowships for emerging leaders from the region, and thesupply of an Energy Cooperation Package under the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiativeto enhance ASEAN-led regional energy policy and planning, including the implementationof the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality. The package will support the ASEANCentre for Energy and the establishment of an ASEAN Centre for Climate Changein Brunei.
Australia will provide English language training forTimor-Leste to support its path to full ASEAN membership, he said, adding thatthe package will enable valuable training to help Timor-Leste engageeffectively in ASEAN.
PM Albanese reiterated Australia's commitment todeepening two-way trade and investment with ASEAN to drive growth that createsjobs and realises economic benefits for all people in the region.
The Australian leader revealed a number ofinitiatives to implement key recommendations from Invested: Southeast AsiaEconomic Strategy to 2040, which was launched last year, including establishinga 2-billion-AUD (1.3 billion USD) Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility,extending Australia's Partnerships for Infrastructure initiative, appointing 10Business Champions to facilitate greater commercial links between Australia andthe economies of ASEAN, establishing new regional 'Landing Pads' in Jakarta andHo Chi Minh City to bolster Australian technology exports and support the region'sdigital transformation, improving visa access for Southeast Asia, with theextension of the Business Visitor Visa from three to five years, and theintroduction of the Frequent Traveller stream, providing 10 year visas foreligible ASEAN member states, and announcing the location of regional hubs forInvestment Deal Teams in Singapore, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City. The firstbusiness mission under the Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange toSingapore and Malaysia in April focusing on green energy transition.
PM Albanese announced the extension of initiatives tosupport the clean energy transition and practical maritime cooperation,including implementing the next phase of the Mekong-Australia Partnership todeepen Australia's engagement in the Mekong subregion to address sharedchallenges, including water security, climate change and transnational crime,along with 64 million AUD to enhance Australia's Southeast Asia MaritimePartnerships, and a 10-million-AUD specific Climate and Clean Energy Window aspart of the Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships Fund announcedin 2023. This will facilitate knowledge sharing and capacity building inaddressing climate change.
♎ Stressing that ASEAN and Australia's economies are deeplyintertwined, the PM underlined that Australia wants to play abigger role in Southeast Asia's pursuit of economic opportunity, development,and growth./.
