Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam and Australian Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Michelle Chan have co-chaired a meeting between the ASEAN – Australia Centre (AAC) under the DFAT and the ASEAN Committee in Canberra (ACC).
The May 21 meeting reviewed the AAC’s progress since its establishment, ongoing programmes and plans aimed at strengthening ASEAN – Australia cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Tam highlighted that the establishment of the AAC at the ASEAN – Australia Special Summit in Melbourne in March 2024 reflected the shared commitment of ASEAN and Australia to upgrading their partnership, deepening people-to-people ties and expanding substantive cooperation in strategic areas such as education, economic collaboration and socio-cultural exchange.
He noted that the AAC’s initiatives have helped connect governments, businesses and academic communities from both sides, adding that the time was ripe for ASEAN partners to exchange views on how to enhance the centre’s effectiveness and strengthen ASEAN – Australia relations.
For her part, Chan thanked the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia, which is serving as Chair of the ACC in the first half of 2026, for coordinating the meeting and facilitating updates on the AAC’s activities.
She reiterated that the AAC was established to deepen Australia’s engagement with Southeast Asia, adding that the meeting provided an opportunity for Australia to hear feedback from ASEAN representatives ahead of the upcoming ASEAN – Australia Joint Cooperation Committee meeting scheduled for May 26.
Representing the AAC, Director Fiona Hoggart briefed the ACC on the centre’s past, ongoing and upcoming programmes involving ASEAN, including initiatives in education cooperation, workforce training, economic collaboration, people-to-people exchange and Australian funding support for ASEAN.
Ambassadors and representatives from ASEAN member states in the ACC also proposed measures to help the AAC further strengthen ASEAN–Australia cooperation, including initiatives to engage the large ASEAN student community in Australia.
Tam praised the AAC’s achievements over the past two years and expressed confidence in its continued development. He also expressed his hope for closer coordination between the AAC and the ACC in future activities, contributing to the ASEAN – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as to bilateral ties between Australia and individual ASEAN member states./.
