The 4th ASEAN-Australia Summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

VIENTIANE — ASEAN and Australian leaders on Thursday at the 4th ASEAN-Australia Summit highly appreciated the success of the Special Summit commemorating 50 years of ASEAN-Australia relations in March 2024, and highlighted the continued close coordination in implementing the outcomes of the Special Summit, advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two sides in a substantive, effective, and mutually beneficial manner.

Welcoming the positive developments in recent times, especially the two-way trade volume between ASEAN and Australia reaching $94.4 billion and Australia's FDI into ASEAN reaching $1.6 billion in 2023, the leaders agreed to effectively implement the commitments laid out in the newly adopted 2025-29 Action Plan, based on the direction of the Joint Vision Statement and the Melbourne Declaration adopted at the Special Summit.

Both sides will also cooperate in implementing commitments and initiatives, including the Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative worth AUD204 million ($137 million) and the AUD2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Fund.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese underscored the significant meaning of the Special Summit commemorating 50 years of ASEAN-Australia relations, which set out the direction for future cooperation between the two sides in the coming decades. He also committed to enhancing close, mutually beneficial cooperation with countries in the region to address challenges, seize opportunities, and build a more closely connected, resilient region, contributing to ensuring peace, security, stability, and shared prosperity.

At the meeting, PM Chính called for ASEAN and Australia to continue working closely together to actively build the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, prosperity, and a forward-looking future.

Praising the longstanding relationship with Australia, a sincere friend and reliable partner that always helps each other in times of difficulty and challenge, PM Chính urged both sides to strengthen strategic coordination for peace and stability in the region.

He also appreciated Australia’s continued strong support for ASEAN’s common stance on the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), resolving disputes peacefully, and efforts to finalise an effective, substantive Code of Conduct (COC), in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, contributing to turning the East Sea into a sea of peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development.

PM Chính stated that both sides should cooperate to create breakthroughs in economic, trade, and investment cooperation, while strongly promoting new growth drivers such as science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Accordingly, it is necessary to effectively harness the high complementary economic potential, promote business support, further facilitate and open markets for agricultural products, and diversify supply chains.

Looking towards a future of inclusive and sustainable development for people and nations, PM Chính called for ASEAN and Australia to support each other in successfully achieving sustainable development goals through expanded cooperation in energy transition, green transformation, environmental protection, emission reduction, and climate change response.

PM also Chính welcomed Australia's support for the development of the Mekong sub-region and thanked Australia for prioritising assistance to the Mekong Delta region of Việt Nam in its "nature-based" development and climate change adaptation.

In addition, the Vietnamese Government leader proposed enhancing people-to-people exchanges, education, and training cooperation, particularly expressing the desire for Australia to provide more scholarships for students from ASEAN countries and to develop high-quality human resources. — VNS