Australia and the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will work together to shape a more secure and prosperous region.
Our joint statement from the Special Summit – The Sydney Declaration – sets out a clear vision for the future of the ASEAN-Australia partnership and our shared commitment to elevate our cooperation.
We have committed to intensify our response to regional and global challenges such as North Korea, terrorism and violent extremism. We will uphold our commitment to the rules-based order and international law in the region, including the South China Sea.
Australia and ASEAN will build greater links between our defence forces through new defence scholarships. We agreed to enhance our cooperation on transnational crime, maritime cooperation capacity building initiatives, cyber affairs, countering people trafficking and dealing with emerging health threats in the region.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Counter-Terrorism will intensify Australia’s engagement with ASEAN in our shared efforts to combat terrorism. This agreement will strengthen information sharing arrangements across our governments, and deepen dialogue across security and law enforcement institutions.
We also agreed to boost trade, investment and business links between Australia and ASEAN. We will be taking forward new initiatives on smart cities, infrastructure development, economic policy cooperation and digital standards – and important new education exchanges – to shape our economic partnership for the 21st century.
These practical and concrete initiatives will benefit us all.
The Sydney declaration can be found at: https://aseanaustralia.pmc.gov.au/Declaration