KUALA LUMPUR: Australia will continue deepening engagement with Southeast Asian countries, says Foreign Minister Penny Wong, noting how the country’s security and prosperity are tied to the region.
She said Australia strongly supports Malaysia’s role as the Asean 2025 chair, adding that Asean matters deeply to the country.
“That is why we have rebuilt relationships and deepened engagement with Southeast Asia.
“This has been a personal priority for me and a priority for the Labour Government,” she said a brief press conference held on the sidelines of the East Asia Forum and Asean Regional Forum held here on Friday (July 11)
“More trade with Southeast Asia means more jobs, investments and a more resilient Australian economy,” she added.
Amidst uncertain times, Wong said strengthening Australia’s relationships with more international partners into more markets has never been more important.
“Australia’s partnership with Malaysia continues to grow across water, defence, water security, clean water and the digital economy.
“Importantly, we work together to assure a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous,” she said.
Earlier Friday, Wong also took part in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Anwar said Malaysia and Australia continued discussions towards strengthening bilateral relations, which have been established since 1957.
Apart from Australia, Anwar also held a series of bilateral meetings with senior leaders and representatives from China, Pakistan, Turkiye, Palestine, the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union.
