On March 4, the Australian Government announced that it will strengthen cooperation with ASEAN through a new program called the “Clean Energy and Climate Window” worth 10 million AUD (about 6.51 million USD). Australia will also invest 64 million AUD (41.8 million USD) over the next 4 years to contribute to ensuring security and prosperity in the region.
Prioritize clean energy
Announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on 4 March, the Clean Energy and Climate Window will provide multi-year funding for climate and clean energy programs, including technical capacity building; ensuring Australia and ASEAN share expertise and learn from each other. Building on existing collaboration, the program will enable Australian Commonwealth, State and Territory Government agencies to expand and maintain long-term relationships with Southeast Asian partners on climate change and the clean energy transition. It will also include flexible funding to meet the needs of partner countries.
The Clean Energy and Climate Window is the first initiative designed under the “Australia-Southeast Asian Government Partnership” program announced by the Anthony Albanese government in 2023. The program will also support the implementation of “Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040”, which recognises the important role of government-to-government partnerships and the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy transition.
Also at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that Australia will invest an additional AUD 222.5 million (about USD 145 million) to support the resilience and prosperity of the Mekong sub-region in Southeast Asia through the Mekong-Australia Partnership. The second phase of funding over the next five years will address shared priorities and challenges with a focus on improving water security, responding to climate change and combating transnational crime.
Security cooperation
On the same day, speaking at the Maritime Cooperation Forum within the framework of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the country could increase funding to promote maritime security cooperation with ASEAN countries in the context of complicated developments in the regional security situation. According to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Australia will invest a total of 64 million AUD (41.8 million USD) in the next 4 years, including a newly committed 40 million AUD to contribute to ensuring security and prosperity in the region, in line with the priorities of Southeast Asian countries. Ms. P. Wong said that free and open sea routes in the East Sea play a very important role in the region's trade.
Also at the forum, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo emphasized that the East Sea has strategic importance and offers a promising future. However, he said that this future can only be guaranteed if countries in the region are determined to “maintain cooperation instead of confrontation and dialogue instead of using or threatening to use force.”
Before the plenary session with the participation of ASEAN and Australian leaders, many meetings took place on March 4 and 5 with four thematic tracks: maritime, green economy, climate forum and clean energy transition.
KHANH MINH compiled
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