Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will visit Laos next week for ASEAN meetings, Japan for the QUAD Foreign Ministers' Meeting and South Korea on a working trip.
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Foreign Minister Wong said the visit to Laos, Japan and South Korea was an opportunity to promote Australia's interests and strengthen cooperation with important partners. (Source: Bloomberg) |
“This year, we are proud to celebrate 50 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first dialogue partner. A strong ASEAN underpins regional stability, contributes to prosperity and reinforces rules and norms. At the ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Laos, we will build on the outcomes agreed at the Special Summit held earlier this year in Melbourne,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
In Laos, Foreign Minister Wong will attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Australia strongly supports Laos’ leadership as Chair of ASEAN in 2024. Australia’s friendship with Laos is built on long-standing development cooperation and people-to-people ties spanning more than 70 years.
In Tokyo, Foreign Minister Wong is looking forward to meeting his Japanese, Indian and US counterparts at the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The group is working closely with countries and organisations in the Indo-Pacific to develop an agenda that responds to the region’s priorities and challenges.
“South Korea is a close friend and a comprehensive strategic partner,” said the Australian Foreign Minister. “I look forward to meeting Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul to advance the implementation of the outcomes of the 2+2 dialogue in Melbourne in May 2024. Australia and South Korea are building a strategic relationship, including on energy transition and economic security.” In South Korea, Foreign Minister Wong will visit the United Nations Command Building in the Demilitarized Zone.
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