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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos okay with possible Australia's ASEAN membership

Marcos okay with possible Australia's ASEAN membership

Published Mar 6, 2024 04:22 pm

President Marcos has expressed his support for Australia to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an official member.
 

Asean_Aus Summit.jpgPresident 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)

 

Asked if he would second Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s openness for Australia to join the regional bloc, the Chief Executive said he is agreeable to it as well.
 

“Well, I cannot see why that would not be a good idea. Australia has already been a very active part of ASEAN,” Marcos said in an interview in Melbourne on Wednesday, March 6.
 

“And for all intents and purposes, really, in all but name, they are already members of ASEAN. Yes, I think they would be very welcome to join ASEAN.”
 

These comments came after Australia has just finished hosting the Special Summit to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Dialogue Relations.
 

In September 2023, Graeme Dobell, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said that Australia joining the bloc would be a game changer for ASEAN given the geopolitical and security issues it faces.
 

He stressed the need for Australia to join ASEAN because of its market of 688 million people and its growing strength as an economic powerhouse.
 

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also underscored ASEAN’s “profound significance” for Australia’s future.
 

It called ASEAN a key trading partner, owing  to Australia's two-way trade with the regional bloc that amounted to around $178 billion in 2022. This amount is even higher than Australia’s two-way trade with Japan, the United States or the European Union.
 

Australia’s two-way investment with ASEAN in 2022 was $289.7 billion, the department added.
 

Related Tags

Anwar Ibrahim Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN-Australia Special Summit President Marcos
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