SENATOR THE HON PENNY WONG
LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SENATE
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Subjects: ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting; Ministerial retirements; Myanmar; South China Sea.

PENNY WONG, FOREIGN MINISTER: Thank you very much. Can I say it's wonderful to be here in Vientiane in the Lao PDR for ASEAN, and ASEAN related meetings with so many of my counterparts.

I thank Foreign Minister Saleumxay and the Government of Lao PDR for the wonderful arrangements and for their ongoing friendship and partnership with Australia.

ASEAN is at the centre of a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. It underpins regional stability, it guards against conflict, it reinforces the rules and norms that protect us all. That protect countries regardless of their size, and that has never been more important.

The East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, we see as stabilising mechanisms within the region we share. They enable cooperation, they build strategic trust, they enable us to have a forum to deal with difficult issues and seek to work to prevent conflict. All countries that work with the region have a responsibility to engage constructively with and through ASEAN, including major powers.

Australia is working closely with ASEAN to advance our shared priorities. Like our histories, our futures, our security and prosperity are intertwined. Australia was ASEAN's first dialogue partner. We're very proud of that history. We celebrated 50 years of that partnership this year, and we marked this with a Special Summit in Melbourne in March. We were very grateful to the leaders of every ASEAN country, with the exception of Myanmar, coming to Australia for that summit.

But, of course, we want to do more than celebrate, we want to continue to work together, and we are implementing the outcomes of that Special Summit and we discussed this at the Post Ministerial Conference with ASEAN yesterday.

The East Asia Summit and the Regional Forum are opportunities for us to discuss some of the difficult issues in the region, such as the situation in Myanmar, the situation in the South China Sea, the Hamas Israel conflict, and of course Russia's continued immoral and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Most importantly to talk about how together, regardless of whatever differences we have, countries can work to progress the cause of peace.

I again thank Laos for hosting ASEAN and for their friendship.

Before I take questions, if I may just speak very briefly on a matter in Australia, which I don't often do, but I did want to take the opportunity, given some of the news over the last couple of days. We have three colleagues who are stepping down from the Government's Ministry.

Brendan O'Connor and I were elected to parliament at the same time. We've traversed political challenges and triumphs together. We've served together under three Labor Prime Ministers. He's a decent man, he's dedicated to the Labor cause, and he is very dear to all of us who have been privileged to work alongside him. I want to take this opportunity to wish him all the best, and I hope he and Una, his daughter, get to spend a lot more time together.

On Linda Burney, there are few more gracious leaders in our country than Linda Burney. Our nation is richer for Linda Burney's powerful advocacy for First Nations people. Her voice is one of kindness, resilience, integrity, and intelligence. I've said previously, and I say it again today, I learned long ago, when Linda speaks, we should all listen.

Finally, to Carol Brown. Carol Brown is a principled senator who serves Labor with dedication. From her leadership in our Tasmanian branch to delivering safer roads and a stronger transport industry, we are very grateful to work with Carol. It is important she puts her health first, and we wish her a full recovery so she can continue her strong and decades long advocacy for Tasmanians.

Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: So, the first question is, what is Australia's role in mediating the ongoing crisis in Myanmar? And secondly, would you give us a comment on the military cooperation between Australia and the Philippines, and do you think it will grow deeper in size to counter China's aggression in the South China Sea?

FOREIGN MINISTER: Firstly on Myanmar, the situation in Myanmar is deeply concerning, and it has worsened. We see more violence, we see the economy on a very difficult track, we see the instability, the insecurity, the deaths, the – you know, the pain that is being caused in – by the conflict.

We continue to support ASEAN's efforts; we continue to support all efforts from those in the region and beyond to try and find a pathway to stability in Myanmar.

The message I would have to the regime is this - this is not sustainable. We see the increase in illegal narcotics, we see the economic trajectory, as I said, very poor for the people, and we see the security situation declining. So, our message is, we will continue to work with ASEAN and others to do what we can to find stability. But fundamentally, my message from Australia to the regime is, this is not sustainable for you or for your people, and we would urge them to take a different path and to reflect the Five Point Consensus that ASEAN has put in place.

In relation to the South China Sea and the incidents that we have seen, the very disturbing incidents at – in relation to the Second Thomas Shoal, I've said this before. First, Australia continues to support the International Law of the Sea. Australia continues to support UNCOSS and the International Law of the Sea, and why do we do that? We do that because we do believe that international law, rules and norms protect all of us. It protects countries large and small. It means that we have access to international waterways, it means that we can safeguard EEZs and the economic security that they demonstrate or that they come with.

We continue to support international law. What we would say is, we are very concerned about any actions which are destabilising, which are dangerous, and which are contrary to international law. We would urge all parties to ensure there is not action that is contrary to international law, that is dangerous, that is disruptive and destabilising, and we would urge parties to ensure that they deal with this in a way that de-escalates the situation.

Okay? Anything more?

Thank you very much.

ENDS

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Foreign Minister's Office: +61 2 6277 7500

Authorised by Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia.