Australia-ASEAN: Sharing the same region, sharing the same future

Australia-ASEAN: Cùng chung một khu vực, cùng chia sẻ tương lai

Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald. (Source: asean.org)

Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has played a pivotal role in shaping our region. In 1974, Australia took the unprecedented step of becoming ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner.

The then Australian Prime Minister , Gough Whitlam, observed that of all regional mechanisms and institutions, ASEAN was “the most important, the most appropriate and the most natural”.

At that time, ASEAN had only five members. But more than twenty years later, Vietnam became an ASEAN member in 1995. And by 2025, Australia is delighted that ASEAN will welcome its 11th member – Timor Leste.

Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN at that time further reinforced ASEAN’s importance and relevance in the region. Vietnam’s accession and ASEAN’s expansion helped connect Southeast Asian nations – the central region of the Indo- Pacific .

ASEAN in a changing world

We are living in a period of profound global transformation. ASEAN and its partners are working to overcome both old and new challenges and seek opportunities in our common region – the world’s most dynamic region.

Australia has always attached great importance to the role of ASEAN and the ASEAN-led regional architecture. In addition to being the first Dialogue Partner, Australia is also a founding member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF, 1994), the East Asia Summit (EAS, 2005) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+, 2010 – the first meeting was held in Hanoi).

In 2021, Australia became one of ASEAN’s first Comprehensive Strategic Partners and announced the Aus4ASEAN Future Initiative, a $204 million development cooperation program to promote cooperation in ASEAN’s priority areas.

Australia believes that we are stronger by doing things together. This is also at the heart of Australia’s approach to ASEAN centrality. Australia has demonstrated its firm commitment to ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms in maintaining a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

As Foreign Minister Penny Wong recently said in Malaysia, “ASEAN has a unique voice that, through words and actions, can set norms and shape expectations, both with major powers and smaller states.” Those expectations, norms and rules are key to preserving our regional identity.

Last month, ASEAN’s unique convening power continued to be demonstrated when it brought together Foreign Ministers from across the Indo-Pacific region, including Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Penny Wong, at the ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting (PMC+1), EAS and ARF Foreign Ministers’ Meetings, to discuss the region’s most pressing strategic and security issues.

Australia sees a united and resilient ASEAN as a vanguard force in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Plenary session of the Special Summit to celebrate 50 years of ASEAN-Australia relations on March 6, 2024. (Source: Nhan Dan)

Cooperate and go hand in hand with ASEAN

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird served as Australia's first Ambassador to ASEAN in 2008, and is a strong supporter of ASEAN and Vietnam's role in this important regional organisation.

Last year, Australia was honored to host ASEAN leaders in Melbourne, to mark the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia Dialogue. At the Melbourne Summit, Australia and Vietnam also elevated their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Similar to the ASEAN-Australia CSP, the Australia-Vietnam CSP demonstrates the importance of shared capabilities in shaping the region and working together to address common challenges.

Ultimately, both frameworks aim to promote a peaceful, stable and prosperous region – bringing practical benefits to the people of Vietnam, ASEAN and Australia.

This year, the Hanoi Declaration 2020 – an initiative of Vietnam when serving as ASEAN Chair – became a reality with the adoption of “ASEAN 2045: Our Common Future”, defining the ASEAN Community Vision to 2045, towards a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN.

At the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN and Australian Ministers adopted the ASEAN-Australia Common Future Joint Statement, with Australia – the first Dialogue Partner to formally welcome ASEAN 2045.

ASEAN and Australia commit to deepening their partnership in support of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. Australia reaffirms its commitment to ASEAN centrality, the benefits of economic integration, and enhanced long-term development support for regional priorities. Australia looks forward to supporting the effective implementation of Vision 2045 in the next phase of the ASEAN-Australia Partnership.

We are working with ASEAN to deliver tangible results across all three pillars of the ASEAN Community, while implementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We also recognise the importance of sub-regional cooperation and supporting ASEAN in its integration and community building process, including by working together to develop the next ASEAN Integration Initiative Action Plan. We welcome Vietnam’s steadfast leadership in promoting the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI). In that spirit, Australia looks forward to continuing to support Timor Leste in its journey to ASEAN membership and beyond.

We understand that Australia's security, prosperity and economic future are inextricably linked to Southeast Asia – because we share the same region and we share the same future.

Now more than ever, we need to cooperate, strengthen coordination and find solutions to common challenges. Together with Vietnam and ASEAN, we will continue to work for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, building a partnership for the future. Once again, congratulations to Vietnam on the 30th anniversary of its accession to ASEAN.