In a press statement before he departs for Australia, in Jakarta on Monday (4/3), President Joko Widodo said, this Special Summit carries the theme "Partnership for the Future" to discuss how the ASEAN-Australia strategic and comprehensive partnership could be optimized in the future to realize a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He will also use this momentum to encourage cooperation in various fields, including strengthening economic integration, energy transition, and digital transformation. In addition, the President also emphasized the importance of collaboration and respect for international law, including on the Palestinian issue.
Relations between ASEAN and Australia have developed significantly over the years. Australia has been an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1974 and became a strategic partner in 2014. Both sides cooperate extensively in various fields, including trade, security, education, and economic development. Australia is also actively involved in various ASEAN initiatives, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Plus Summit. Besides, cooperation in addressing regional and global problems, such as peace, stability, and sustainable development is also the focus of relations between ASEAN and Australia.
Over the past 50 years, cooperation between ASEAN and Australia has continued to develop, deepen, and expand to cover various fields in the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, namely the political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars.
Hopefully, the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit will further strengthen cooperation and relations between the two sides, especially Indonesia-Australia relations which have existed since 1945. In addition to attending the Summit, President Joko Widodo is also scheduled to meet some leaders of friendly countries, including the Australian Prime Minister, New Zealand, and Cambodia, which are expected to open up more opportunities for cooperation between Indonesia and these countries in various sectors.