Sydney (VNA) – Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Manila on July 20 to attend the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings, reaffirming Australia's commitment to working closely with ASEAN in addressing growing regional and global challenges.
The meetings, running from July 18 to 24, are taking place as ASEAN members and their partners step up efforts to promote peace, stability and prosperity ahead of the ASEAN Summit later this year.
In a statement issued before her departure, Wong said that at a time of rising strategic competition and global economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever for Australia to work closely with ASEAN partners to help shape a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.
"My meetings with regional and global counterparts will be an opportunity to advance Australia's interests and continue work on shared challenges, including energy security, supply chain resilience and long-term economic prosperity," she said.
During the visit, Wong is scheduled to meet Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro as Australia and the Philippines celebrate the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations. She also reaffirmed Australia's strong support for the Philippines as ASEAN Chair in 2026.
The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings have drawn foreign ministers from ASEAN's major partners, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The situation in Myanmar remains one of the key agenda items, following the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of ASEAN member states and Myanmar's military authorities in Bangkok earlier this month./.
Vietnam, Australia eye stronger local cooperation
The Vietnamese diplomat proposed the ACT Chief Minister consider signing a friendship and cooperation agreement with Hanoi, laying an important foundation for expanding ties across a wide range of areas between the two capitals in the future.
