Media Release
13 May 2026
Australia and Indonesia co-chaired the 38th ASEAN-Australia Forum in Sydney on 13 May, reaffirming ASEAN and Australia’s shared commitment to promoting the peace, stability and prosperity of our region.
The Forum, which brought together senior officials from ASEAN and Australia, was co-chaired by Australia’s ASEAN Senior Official and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms Michelle Chan, and Indonesia’s ASEAN Senior Official and Director-General for ASEAN Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms Ina H. Krisnamurthi. Timor-Leste’s participation was its first as a full ASEAN member.
“The 38th ASEAN-Australia Forum comes as ASEAN and Australia celebrate five years as Comprehensive Strategic Partners, building on more than half a century of cooperation. Australia’s support for ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN’s role in responding to regional challenges is unwavering, as we deepen our partnership promoting shared rules and norms, strong relationships and a resilient Indo-Pacific,” said Deputy Secretary Chan.
Director-General Krisnamurthi reflected that, “As a Griffith University alumnus, I am pleased to see ASEAN-Australia ties continue to deepen. The 38th ASEAN – Australia Forum reflects our shared commitment to regional stability, security, and economic prosperity. ASEAN values Australia’s continued support for ASEAN Centrality, ASEAN Community-building, and the further advancement of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
The Forum was an opportunity to reflect on the breadth and depth of ASEAN-Australia cooperation, in the face of an increasingly complex environment, supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and our shared efforts to promote rules-based trade, resilient supply chains, regional food and energy security, and deliver lasting benefits for the people in our region.
Senior Officials also discussed implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Joint Leaders’ Statement on Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management in the ASEAN-led Regional Architecture, acknowledging that the peace and stability of our region is a collective responsibility.
Together, ASEAN and Australia are taking forward a partnership for the future, peace and prosperity.
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