May 21, 2024
VIENTIANE – ASEAN and Australia have celebrated numerous milestone achievements over their 50-year partnership, showcasing a promising future bolstered by increased people-to-people connections.
Last week in Vientiane the Australian Embassy and the ASEAN Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-hosted the launch of a report titled ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partners: ASEAN and Australia after the first 50 years’, commemorating the 50th anniversary of dialogue relations.
The event was attended by Lao officials, Australian alumni, university students, and members of the Australian Chamber of Commerce.
The report’s authors discussed opportunities and challenges in the ASEAN region, and their recommendations for strengthening the ASEAN-Australia partnership for the future.
Over the years, migration from Southeast Asian countries to Australia has played a significant role in building people-to-people connections between ASEAN and Australia.
The establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021 marked a new chapter in their partnership.
Australian Ambassador Megan Jones, quoting the report, said that by 2021, over one million Australian citizens had family ties to the 10 ASEAN countries, with a significant Australian diaspora present across the region.
The ASEAN-Australia relationship has flourished through exchanges between migrants, students, business professionals, academics, and tourists.
Ambassador Jones highlighted Australia’s commitment to enhancing the partnership through practical measures, such as increasing ASEAN scholarships and fellowships, offering five-year business visas to support economic exchanges, and boosting Australian trade and investment in the region.
“The history of ASEAN-Australia relations has proven that we are all far more successful when we work together,” she said.
“We have achieved many milestones over the last 50 years, and the next 50 years hold even greater promise.”.
Professor Nicholas Farrelly, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Tasmania and lead author of the report, emphasised the importance of the future of ASEAN-Australia relations, with the report highlighting the importance of close collaboration in the areas of political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and business engagement.
“This can offer great opportunities for the next generation of young leaders, especially here in Laos where the population is young and dynamic,” he said.
The report also provides recommendations to advance cooperation in youth leadership, the digital economy, climate change, and the green energy transition.
Professor Farrelly underscored the urgency of addressing the shared challenge of climate change collaboratively.
“Cooperation on climate change and the green energy transition is a key recommendation of our report. I think the question for all of us is how to share technology and innovation and partner in education, so that we can all deal with the challenging issues related to climate change.”
“Our university is ranked number one in climate change action and can be a pillar in the next stage of the cooperation programme.
For example, talented Lao students who are interested in this issue may wish to cooperate with Australia through our university, or we might have an ASEAN youth cooperation programme to work on it.
This can be work that we can do in the future.”