Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the plenary session of the Special Summit commemorating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN - Australia Dialogue Relations in Melbourne, Australia on March 6, according to a report from the Government News.

In his opening remarks, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese affirmed that Australia commits to working with ASEAN member states to ensure that the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality, and independence are upheld for a secure, resilient, open, inclusive, and prosperous region.

He was quoted as saying that the regional architecture, with ASEAN at its center, is vital in pursuing these goals and for promoting trust and transparency among nations.

Australia is fully committed to cooperating with ASEAN within the framework of the bloc and through crucial bodies like the East Asia Summit and APEC, he noted.

He pledged that Australia will continue to support the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and ensure stability and peace in the region.

This year’s Summit has four key themes that will shape the ASEAN - Australia partnership for the future: trade and investment, climate and clean energy transition, maritime cooperation, and emerging leadership, according to Prime Minister Albanese.

This is the second time Australia has hosted ASEAN leaders, following the first ASEAN - Australia Special Summit in 2018.

Australia became ASEAN’s first dialogue partner in 1974 and ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2014 and a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021.

Australia also acceded the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in December 2005.