On 9 May 2024, His Excellency KUNG Phoak, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia and the country’s leader at the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), attended a productive working lunch with Her Excellency Tiffany McDonald, the Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, hosted at her residence.
The meeting was poised to achieve a significant outcome, with discussions centered around the ASEAN-Australia Cooperation and exploring pathways to enhance the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) within the framework of the ASEAN-centered regional architecture. The ASEAN-Australia CSP is a framework established to deepen ties and collaboration across multiple areas of mutual interest, including economic, security, cultural, and educational sectors.
His Excellency KUNG Phoak and Her Excellency Tiffany McDonald set their sights on identifying new strategies and areas of collaboration that would contribute markedly to the strengthening of this partnership. They reviewed the existing cooperatives between ASEAN and Australia and contemplated on innovative measures that would further Australia’s integration and alignment with Southeast Asian nations’ priorities and initiatives.
The agenda also touched upon how to efficiently harness the opportunities presented by the CSP to address prevailing regional challenges. The two senior officials anticipated crafting a seamless and synergistic approach to policy-making and implementation, bolstering a harmonious yet dynamic ASEAN-Australia relationship. They considered how ASEAN and Australia could work in tandem to bolster regional stability, security, and economic prosperity.
Deliberations during the engagement covered the overall strategic importance of the ASEAN-led regional architecture and the role of Australia within this construct. Both officials acknowledged the CSP as a cornerstone for potential future advancements that could lead to a thriving and mutually beneficial relationship.
Concluding on a note of optimism, the dialogue between Cambodia’s ASEAN SOM leader and the Australian Ambassador to ASEAN reaffirmed the commitment of both parties to continuous discourse and cooperative actions. As a result, this meeting set forth a vision for a robust partnership, with both nations eagerly looking forward to witnessing their collaborative efforts foster a prosperous, stable, and interconnected regional community.
Source: MFAIC
