(AseanAll) — At the 15th ASEAN-Australia Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meeting held on April 11, 2025 at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN and Australia reiterated their commitment to advancing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
The Meeting acknowledged the positive momentum of ASEAN-Australia cooperation following the Special Summit held in Melbourne in March 2024 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. The Meeting welcomed Australia’s continued support for ASEAN Community-building efforts and ASEAN Centrality as well as its strong commitment to substantially strengthening the CSP with ASEAN, reflected in programmes such as the Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative (Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative).
The Meeting acknowledged the significant progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Plan of Action 2025-2029 in various areas across all pillars, including non-traditional security challenges, maritime security, conflict prevention, trade and investment, digitalisation, energy, environment, education, youth and people-to-people exchanges. The Meeting welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN-Australia Centre in Canberra and its programmes and activities that aim to further strengthen business, education, cultural and community connections between ASEAN and Australia. The Meeting also noted Australia’s proposal for a Joint Statement on Conflict Prevention to be adopted at the 5th ASEAN-Australia Summit in November 2025.
Both sides further discussed enhancing cooperation to advance the CSP, in line with the Joint Vision Statement – Partners for Peace and Prosperity and the Melbourne Declaration – A Partnership for Future adopted at the Special Summit in 2024. Focus areas of cooperation include cybersecurity; maritime cooperation; trade and investment; digitalisation; clean and renewable energy; science and technology; climate change; disaster management; health; TVET; education; people-to-people ties; smart cities; connectivity; and sustainable development, among others. Australia reaffirmed its commitment to providing capacity-building support for Timor-Leste’s full membership of ASEAN.
The 15th ASEAN-Australia JCC Meeting was co-chaired by the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to ASEAN, H.E. Derry Aman, and Ambassador of Australia to ASEAN, H.E. Tiffany McDonald. Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat were in attendance. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.
