PM Albanese reaffirms stronger ASEAN-Australia ties
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday, March 5, officially welcomed President Marcos and other leaders to the opening ceremony of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Dialogue Relations as he reaffirmed stronger ties between the parties.
President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. participates during the official welcome ceremony for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (Noel Pabalate | PPA POOL)
In his speech, the Australian leader looked back at the region’s achievements over the past five decades as ASEAN and Australia commemorates the 50th anniversary of its relations, as well as how they have deepened their economic cooperation, broadened two-way investments, and strengthened the bonds of trust and friendship.
“Five decades where the centrality of ASEAN has helped to underpin the stability, prosperity, and security of the region we proudly call home. Five decades where each of us has helped build a strong and broad foundation,” Albanese said.
“While we honor the vision of praise the legacy of the leadership brought this form together half a century ago, what happens next is up to us. That is the challenge confronting each of us and it is a transformative set of opportunities in reach of all of us,” he added.
But the Special Summit, he stated, was not only meant for government leaders, but it is also intended for business leaders and innovators who helped shape the economic landscape of the ASEAN region.
He also lauded the presence of representatives from various civil society and education sectors because by sharing their ideas, they were able to accelerate the transition to clean energy and make the environmental challenge of climate change.
Albanese also discussed the importance of maritime cooperation among stakeholders in the region.
“Expanding our maritime cooperation for a shared security and mutual prosperity. And making sure that the big changes reshaping the global and regional are harnessed in the interest of our people,” the official said.
The Prime Minister also expressed his desire to continue discussions with his counterparts in an aim to affirm a shared vision for ASEAN and agree on new methods to improve the ASEAN outlook and achieve a more stable, peaceful and prosperous future for the Indo-Pacific region.
Marcos is in Melbourne since Sunday for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit and has since secured at least $1.53 billion, or P86 billion, in investment deals from the business community in Australia.