ASEAN-AUSTRALIA SPECIAL SUMMIT 2024: Celebrating 50 Years of Partnership

This year marks the 50th year of partnership between the regional organisation ASEAN and Australia.  To commemorate this momentous occasion, a special Summit was held in Melbourne from March 4th to March 6th, which was hosted by Australian PM Anthony Albanese and attended by the leaders of ASEAN and Timor-Leste as an observer. 

During the summit, the leaders of ASEAN and Australia agreed on the ASEAN-Australian Joint Leaders' Vision Statement and the Melbourne Declaration. These statements place emphasis on cooperation and the importance of working together for a better future. 

The summit can be seen as a crucial gathering of regional leaders, providing a platform for dialogue and cooperation. With major tensions rising in the South China Sea and other regional security issues, the summit provided an opportunity to discuss these issues thoroughly and address them collectively. This summit provides a major opportunity for the leaders to reaffirm their commitment, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. 

In the three-day-long summit, the leaders engaged in collective discussions, exchanging views on a wide range of issues concerning ASEAN and Australia, including trade, investment, security, and regional cooperation. They recognized the significance of strengthening their economic ties, promoting sustainable development, and addressing issues of climate change. The summit also shed light on cultural and social ties, recognizing people-to-people connections. 

ASEAN and Australia share a relationship for over five decades now. In fact, Australia was the first non-member to establish formal relations with ASEAN and to engage with ASEAN as a dialogue partner in 1974, marking the beginning of a fruitful and enduring partnership. 

Over the years, both of them have worked together to address a range of complex regional challenges. In 2014, ASEAN and Australia took their relationship to a new height by formalizing their strategic partnership. This partnership is built on promoting peace and stability in the region. One of the key milestones in their partnership came in 2021, when the two sides established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).  It laid out a comprehensive framework for cooperation across a wide range of issues, such as energy transition, the digital economy, health, and countering human trafficking. As part of the CSP, ASEAN and Australia have launched Aus4ASEAN to advance their partnership and deepen their cooperation in certain important areas. 

Trade and investment have become increasingly important for Australia and the ASEAN members. As a bloc, ASEAN is Australia’s second-largest trading partner, representing almost 15 percent of Australia’s trade. In the 2023 ASEAN Summit, Australian PM Albanese launched INVESTED: AUSTRALIA’S SOUTHEAST ASIA ECONOMIC STRATEGY TO 2024 for trade and investment. 

ASEAN and Australia highly collaborate on the ASEAN outlook in the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) through ASEAN Summits, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN Defense Minister's Meeting Plus. 

Overall, the ASEAN and Australian partnership has been a shining example of how two diverse and geographically distant regions can come together to build a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future. 

The ASEAN-Australian Special Summit resulted in two of the major statements. The ASEAN-AUSTRALIAN LEADERS’ VISION STATEMENT sets out their strategic vision to always respect and cooperate with each other. Strong people-to-people connections, reinforcing economic ties, and tackling global challenges are the major concerns where both sides will cooperate to assure the well-being and resilience of the communities. 

Another statement released by the leaders, a Joint Leaders’ Declaration, also known as the Millennium Declaration, is a major commitment to safeguarding regional security and stability. Australia’s active participation in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-PLUS) is also highlighted in the Melbourne declaration. 

Through the Melbourne Declaration, Australia showed its support for ASEAN’s efforts to preserve the Southeast Asian region as a nuclear weapon-free zone and to free the region of all other weapons of mass destruction, as mentioned in the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty). 

In the recent summit, ASEAN and Australia emphasized the importance of maritime interest and agreed to enhance maritime awareness and implement the ASEAN Blue Economy framework. 

Furthermore, Australia and ASEAN expressed their grave concern over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) intercontinental ballistic missile testing and ballistic missile launches. They call for the DPRK to cease these launches and refrain from nuclear tests, which pose a regional threat. 

The Melbourne declaration also highlights the developments in Myanmar and states that Australia and ASEAN strongly condemn the continued acts of violence, call for immediate cessation, and advocate for humanitarian assistance. 

ASEAN and Australia agreed to restrain the happenings in the South China Sea. China’s determination to assert its dominance and control over the South China Sea has parked increasing clashes with its neighbours, particularly Philippines. 

Another important issue that the Melbourne Declaration addresses is that both parties agreed to call for rapid, safe, and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine. 

In addition, ASEAN and Australia issued a joint agreement via the Melbourne Declaration, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on humanitarian grounds. They have expressed deep concern for the civilian casualties and called for the release of all the hostages held in the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

One of the major outcomes of the Special Summit is that it brought together business leaders, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), CEOs, and industry groups from Australia, ASEAN, and Timor-Leste to discuss and strengthen their working relationships.  The CEO Forum boosted two-way trade and investment while implementing Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. 

Another critical focus of the summit was on climate and clean energy. This will boost collaboration and investment in the region to connect, collaborate, and work together for a sustainable future. 

The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit can be marked as a huge success. The summit brought together 65 next-generation leaders from Australia, ASEAN, and Timor-Leste for in-depth discussions on economic, social, and geopolitical challenges. The summit’s focus on regional and global security and stability, business, and clean energy highlights the growing importance of the region’s growth and development.