Defence Partnership for the Future – Strengthening our relationship with ASEAN

The Albanese Government is strengthening defence ties with Southeast Asian nations underscored by a new partnership statement released today, following the 2024 ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Laos. 

The Defence Partnership for the Future statement is a practical demonstration of Australia’s enduring commitment to work together with ASEAN, to respond to our shared security challenges.

The partnership statement includes:

• Establishing the Southeast Asia Defence Engagement Program, which will bring military officers and defence officials from across ASEAN member states to Australia to pursue education and training opportunities;
• Extending both the ASEAN-Australia Defence Postgraduate Scholarship Program and the ASEAN-Australia Maritime Security Research Program to welcome new scholars from Timor-Leste; and
• Arranging for the ASEAN-Australia Maritime Security Symposium to be an annual event, bringing together our growing Southeast Asia alumni network.

These initiatives follow a commitment made at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in March 2024, where leaders resolved to enhance and expand the scope and sophistication of our practical defence co-operation.

Quotes attributable to Minister Pat Conroy:

“ASEAN has been one of the region’s greatest strategic assets over the past half century, and as we mark our 50^th anniversary as dialogue partners, we see it growing in relevance and importance over the decades to come.

“Inherent in these commitments is our understanding that it is the relationships between our people that are at the heart of our security.

“The ability to share our perspectives transparently, cordially and respectfully – as we have here at the ADMM-Plus – is the key to peace and prosperity in the future.”