ASEAN - The primary norm-setting body in our region
WVR - In an exclusive interview with The World & Vietnam Report, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald said that the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) plays an important role in fostering discussions on ASEAN’s role amid today’s increasingly complex international landscape.
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| Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Tiffany McDonald shared in a discussion session of AFF 2025. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
How would you assess ASEAN’s role in fostering peace and regional stability amid today’s increasingly complex international landscape?
It is an honour to return to Hanoi for the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), and I am particularly pleased to have attended every edition of the Forum so far.
The ASEAN Future Forum plays an important role in fostering discussions on ASEAN’s role amid today’s increasingly complex international environment. As Australia’s Foreign Minister, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, has noted: “ASEAN has a unique role in shaping the rules and norms of our region that underpin peace, stability and prosperity”.
ASEAN sets expectations for responsible state behaviour in our shared region, while also providing a platform for dialogue that helps build trust and prevent conflict. Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has played a vital role in shaping the region and maintaining peace and stability.
As ASEAN approaches its 60th anniversary next year, the world is experiencing profound global uncertainty, marked by rising tensions and significant geopolitical shifts. In this context, a strong, united and resilient ASEAN is more important than ever to sustaining peace, stability and prosperity across our region.
Australia regards ASEAN as the region’s leading norm-setting body, with unmatched convening power in the Indo-Pacific. The ASEAN Future Forum is a clear demonstration of that convening power in action, bringing together leaders, policymakers and experts from across the region to exchange perspectives and explore solutions to shared challenges. Australia is proud to be a key partner of Vietnam in supporting this important event.
We also look forward to continuing our engagement with ASEAN through the East Asia Summit - the Indo-Pacific’s premier forum for dialogue on strategic issues - and the ASEAN Regional Forum, which brings together 27 countries around one table.
At a time of global disruption, it is more important than ever for ASEAN and Australia to continue working closely together - a spirit well reflected in the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship theme: “Navigating Our Future, Together”. Australia will remain a steadfast supporter of ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN-led regional architecture.
We deeply value the trusted relationships we share with Southeast Asia. In fact, all five overseas visits undertaken by Australia’s Prime Minister this year have been to ASEAN member states - a strong reflection of Australia’s commitment to our region, our partnerships, and the rules that safeguard our collective stability.
What are your views on ASEAN-Australia cooperation in promoting regional peace and stability, multilateralism, and a rules-based order grounded in international law, including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 UNCLOS?
As ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner and Comprehensive Strategic Partner, Australia’s relationship with ASEAN is both longstanding and substantial. The year 2026 will be particularly significant as we mark the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), building on more than five decades of dialogue relations.
We are committed to deepening this partnership in ways that deliver lasting benefits for our peoples and the wider region. Upholding the UN Charter, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is fundamental to sustaining a region governed by international law - one in which no country dominates and no country is dominated.
In an increasingly uncertain world, Australia remains a reliable and enduring development partner for the region. At a time when many countries are reducing development spending, Australia is increasing its support. In the 2026-2027 financial year, Australia will invest AUD5.209 billion in development assistance, an increase from the previous year, including AUD1.4 billion allocated to Southeast Asia.
Through this cooperation, we are working together to shape norms, strengthen partnerships, and build the resilience of our shared region.
Last year, our leaders adopted the Joint Statement on Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management in the ASEAN-led Regional Architecture to promote peace and stability. The statement recognises that peace and stability in our region are a shared responsibility, and that conflict prevention lies at the core of ASEAN’s mission.
It commits ASEAN and Australia to strengthening cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms in order to promote open communication and dialogue, build strategic trust, and reduce the risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation in the region. The statement also reaffirms the importance of resolving disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, particularly UNCLOS 1982.
Australia is now focused on implementing these commitments together with ASEAN, and we are pleased to continue advancing discussions on conflict prevention through a dedicated thematic session at this year’s ASEAN Future Forum.
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| Australian Ambassador to Vietnam and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. (Photo: asean.org) |
Trade, digital transformation, and crisis response - including energy security challenges - are among the key areas in which ASEAN and Australia are strengthening cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Could you share your expectations for future cooperation in these fields, as well as Vietnam’s contributions to this process?
Australia highly values its close cooperation with Vietnam through our bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which complements and reinforces the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Vietnam’s leadership in initiating and hosting the ASEAN Future Forum is a clear example of the important role Vietnam plays in highlighting ASEAN’s central role in addressing the region’s most pressing challenges.
Among those challenges are ensuring reliable access to energy and food, both of which are fundamental to our shared economic resilience. Disruptions to energy and food security affect both Australia and ASEAN because our economies and supply chains are deeply interconnected.
Australia’s trade with Vietnam and the broader region delivers substantial mutual benefits — from supplying critical inputs for manufacturing to supporting food availability and nutrition for the region’s growing population.
Australia’s AUD6.9 million ASEAN-Australia energy cooperation package, delivered through the ASEAN-Australia CSP flagship AUD204 million Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, is helping strengthen the region’s energy security and energy transition in close cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Energy.
To support ASEAN’s ambition of connecting national electricity systems by 2045 through the ASEAN Power Grid, Australia has also joined the Partnership for ASEAN Connectivity on Energy and the Asian Development Bank’s Regional Connectivity Fund for Energy as an anchor partner.
At the same time, we continue to strengthen trade, investment and economic ties through “Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040”. The review of Australia’s network of Free Trade Agreements with Southeast Asia will help ensure these agreements continue to deliver maximum mutual benefit.
Two-way trade between Australia and the region now exceeds AUD197 billion annually, up by more than AUD6 billion and reaching its highest level in 15 years.
Australia is also working closely with ASEAN to seize emerging opportunities in digital resilience and regional connectivity, while supporting ASEAN’s vision for an ambitious ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement.
With the extensive cooperation already underway among Australia, Vietnam and ASEAN across these critical areas, I am confident our partnership will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years ahead. Together, we are building a partnership for peace and prosperity — a partnership for the future.
