Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- We, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Australia on 10 July 2025.
- We welcome the adoption of the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, including the ASEAN Community Vision 2045: "Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic and People- Centred" (ACV 2045) and its Strategic Plans, and reaffirmed our shared commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region. Australia commits to supporting ASEAN in implementing the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future through practical initiatives and increased cooperation. We reiterate our collective resolve to work towards a more secure, resilient and prosperous future.
- Australia reaffirms its steadfast support for ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN-led regional architecture. We reaffirm our shared commitment to implementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) through practical cooperation in its four priority areas, and in maintaining an open, inclusive, transparent, resilient, and rules-based regional architecture with ASEAN at its centre that upholds international law. We also reaffirm our commitment to maintaining and promoting a peaceful, secure, and stable region, where disputes are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.
- As ASEAN's oldest Dialogue Partner, Australia reaffirms its strong support for the vision of ASEAN as the epicentre of growth in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia remains deeply committed to Southeast Asia's growth, development and long- term prosperity. As a longstanding partner, Australia has increased its Official Development Assistance to the region to an estimated AUD 1.28 billion in 2025- 2026 to help address shared regional challenges, build resilience, and deliver high-quality sustainable development assistance and finance for the region in line with the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.
- We reaffirm our shared commitment to advancing the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to the effective implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2025-2029). We welcome Australia's support in advancing and delivering on our shared priorities, including in economic integration, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, digital economy, energy transition and climate change, education and skills, agriculture and food, trade and investment, sustainable development, and regional resilience, namely through the AUD 204 million Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, the implementation of the AUD 500 million ASEAN-Australia Special Summit initiatives, and Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. We further underscore the importance of deepening digital cooperation, including through capacity building and support for the conclusion and the implementation of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), to drive digital transformation, expand digital trade, and promote secure, interoperable ecosystems.
- We reaffirm our commitment to greater regional action on climate change and the energy transition. We underscore the importance of delivering on ASEAN's energy transition, and welcome Australia's support, including through the AUD 6.9 million ASEAN-Australia Energy Cooperation Package which will support renewable energy transition and regional energy policy, as well as ASEAN's ongoing efforts to realise the ASEAN Power Grid by 2045.
- We are committed to upholding a predictable, transparent, open, inclusive, free, fair, sustainable and rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core in fostering global economic growth. We welcome the entry into force of the Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), which will further support inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the region. We are also committed to strengthening our regional economic architecture, including through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and AANZFTA. In line with the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, we welcome Australia's contribution of AUD 46 million to the Regional Trade for Development Initiative (RT4D), which supports the region's trade and economic priorities, and helps take advantage of AANZFTA and RCEP.
- We reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening people-to-people ties as a foundation of our partnership and welcome continued cooperation in building human capital, education, skills and training, sports, arts, interfaith, culture, and exchanges that particularly empower women, girls, young people, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations across the region, through a wide range of initiatives, including the ASEAN-Australia Centre, Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, Aus4ASEAN Scholarships, Aus4ASEAN Fellowships, and Aus4ASEAN Digital Transformation and Future Skills Initiative.
- As we look to the future, we are committed to deepening our partnership in ways that support the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future and delivers lasting benefits for our people and region.
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