AKP Phnom Penh, March 17, 2018 –Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, along with other ASEAN Heads of State/Government and Australian Prime Minister attended this afternoon the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney, Australia, according to the National Television of Kampuchea (TVK).
The ASEAN leaders and secretary-general were warmly welcomed by Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull.
This ASEAN-Australia Special Summit is aimed to strengthen the contribution of ASEAN and Australia to enhancing regional security and prosperity as well as to reflect their commitment to deepen their strategic partnership through continued cooperation in the fields of security, politics, economy and connectivity.
ASEAN and Australia started building their dialogue relations in 1974 which were upgraded to the strategic partnership 40 years later. Then in 2015, ASEAN and Australia agreed on the organisation of their summit every two years.
On the occasion, the leaders of ASEAN and Australia met with three Australian students who have studied in ASEAN countries under the New Colombo Plan and an ASEAN student who is studying in Australia under Australia’s scholarship.
Besides, they presided over the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ASEAN and Australia for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism.
This summit marks a new era in the ASEAN-Australia partnership. It builds a deep legacy of economic cooperation, political dialogue, and the natural interweaving of their people to establish a contemporary, outward-looking partnership for the rapidly changing world.
The Special Summit strengthens the joint contribution to regional security and prosperity, including by addressing shared security challenges and securing greater opportunities for businesses.
By Khan Sophirom
