Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 28 joined leaders of ASEAN member states and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the 5th ASEAN – Australia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, part of the 47th ASEAN Summit and related summits.
In his remarks, the Vietnamese leader noted that the ASEAN – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has achieved remarkable progress, with 83% of the action plan for 2025–2029 already implemented, providing a strong foundation for broadening cooperation in the next phase.
He proposed four key priorities to advance the partnership. First, it’s necessary to strengthen multi-layered economic connectivity, create more open space for trade and investment, effectively carry out the ASEAN – Australia – New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), expand the RCEP and align it with ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. He suggested the two sides step up comprehensive measures, from policy dialogue, harmonisation of standards and regulations, to trade promotion and support for enterprises. He also encouraged Australia to expand the export of raw materials and minerals, especially essential ones.
Second, the two sides should foster seamless and harmonious strategic infrastructure connectivity to pave the way for breakthrough development through opening more air and sea links and completing multi-modal transport corridors, strengthening cross-border digital infrastructure, working together in cross-border data governance, and connecting energy networks, undersea cables, smart cities, and smart governance ecosystems. PM Chinh also proposed Australia continue training assistance for ASEAN to create a high-quality workforce and increase scholarships for ASEAN students.
Third, ASEAN and Australia should promote digital transition, green transition, and renewable energy as new engines for sustainable development. The Vietnamese PM suggested Australia encourage its large enterprises to engage in the ASEAN Power Grid and the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, share experience, transfer technology, provide support in building innovation centres, assist with cybersecurity, boost green finance, and cooperate in sustainable water resource management and responsible mineral exploitation.
Fourth, PM Chinh called on ASEAN and Australia to jointly preserve peace, security, and stability for development, further augment common efforts to maintain a rules-based order, enhance maritime and non-traditional security cooperation, set up information sharing and early warnings mechanisms regarding threats, including those on cyberspace. He asked Australia to continue its strong support — in both voice and action — for ASEAN’s principled stance on the East Sea, which is ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight and resolving disputes peacefully in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
At the summit, the participating leaders reaffirmed that the ASEAN – Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has been growing more substantive and effective. Bilateral trade reached 96.2 billion USD, while Australian investment in ASEAN stood at 1.65 billion USD in 2024.
They affirmed that the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the ASEAN – Australia Leaders’ Vision Statement: Partnership for Peace and Prosperity have opened up many opportunities for deeper and broader collaboration across political, security, economic, and social fields as well as sustainable development.
Looking ahead to the 5th anniversary of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2026, the leaders agreed to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN – Australia Plan of Action for the 2025–2029 period. Priorities include addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges, further tightening economic links through the effective enforcement of the recently upgraded AANZFTA and the RCEP. The two sides will also strongly disburse the 2 billion AUD (1.3 billion USD) investment facilitation package and expand cooperation in highly potential areas such as digital transformation, clean energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart infrastructure.
ASEAN leaders praised Australia’s support for and contributions to efforts in building the ASEAN Community, particularly through initiatives such as the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, the Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) Initiative, the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, the Aus4ASEAN Scholarships, and the Aus4ASEAN Digital Transformation and Future Skills Initiative. They expressed the hope that both sides will press on with fruitfully implementing the projects on infrastructure and people-to-people connectivity, food security, sustainable development, natural resource management, climate change and disaster response, poverty reduction, and subregional development.
PM Albanese reiterated Australia’s commitment to multilateralism and an open, inclusive, transparent, and rules-based regional architecture with ASEAN at its centre.
He affirmed that Australia will continue close coordination with ASEAN to enhance cooperation in economic connectivity, investment, clean energy, education, cultural and community bonds, maritime security, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and transnational crime prevention.
On this occasion, he announced an additional 15 million AUD contribution to support the region’s labour mobility programme.
At the summit, ASEAN and Australia adopted a joint declaration on conflict prevention and crisis management under the ASEAN-led regional architecture./.
