Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. Can the minister update the Senate on the ASEAN-Australia Summit and the East Asia Summit leaders' meeting held in Jakarta last week? What progress can the minister report on advancing Australia's economic interests in the region, and what can the minister advise the Senate on in our efforts with our regional partners to maintain stability and prevent conflict?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. I appreciate the question from Senator Smith and her engagement on so many matters, including on her interest in international matters and, like all of us, how it is that Australia navigates these very challenging strategic times to ensure peace, stability and prosperity. Last week, I did join the Prime Minister at the successful ASEAN related summits. Of course, this includes, principally, at leaders' level, the East Asia Summit where, regrettably, Russia has been a spoiler. Last year, people might recall, Russia prevented agreement on a leaders' statement. Once again, this year, they sought to undermine these efforts.

Can I perhaps speak briefly about why the East Asia Summit is so important to Australia. We share an interest with ASEAN and the other members of the EAS in ensuring that this summit, which is such an important security forum for our region, operates effectively. We played an active role in overcoming Russia's efforts and securing a negotiated East Asia Summit leaders' statement.

We also supported an additional strong chair statement by Indonesia that demanded Russia's complete and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine. That statement recognised the need for all East Asia Summit participating countries to promote open channels of communication to reduce risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and to prevent conflict in our region. Those who have been paying attention will recognise that those channels are the kinds of guardrails for practical conflict prevention that the Albanese government has been calling for. In Jakarta, the Prime Minister also notes the South-East Asia economic strategy to 2040, as developed by Nicholas Moore. The strategy maps out trade and investment opportunities in the region, which is, of course, a part of how we ensure we reduce reliance on any single trading partner.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Marielle Smith, a first supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that after the ASEAN-Australia summit and the East Asia leaders' meeting, the Prime Minister travelled to Manila for the first bilateral visit by an Australian Prime Minister in 20 years. Why did the Prime Minister prioritise this visit, and why does it matter to Australia?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take the interjection, and I'm happy to talk about Myanmar but, right now, it's an important bilateral relationship, the Philippines, and one I hope there's bipartisan support for. This was first bilateral visit by an Australian Prime Minister in 20 years. That is a clear statement of our government's intention and priorities. Labor has always understood that Australia needs to work with the countries of South-East Asia to achieve our security interests in a stable region where sovereignty is respected. It is less known about former Prime Minister Whitlam's visit to China that, on the same trip in 1971, he also visited Japan and the Philippines. Australia and the Philippines have common strategic and economic interests and there is more we can do together. While in Manila, the Prime Minister announced the elevation of our relationship to a strategic partnership. This means we will walk even more closely with the Philippines to contribute to strategic balance and to shape the region we want.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a second supplementary?

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, over the weekend the Prime Minister attended the G20 leaders meeting in New Delhi. Can the minister update the Senate on the outcomes of that meeting, and why engagement in the G20 is so important for Australia?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Smith for this question about the G20. Our engagement with the G20 has never been more important, given the circumstances the world faces.

As I said, we all know that Russia has been a spoiler at key international meetings. But despite their efforts over the weekend, the G20 delivered a strong consensus message on Russia's war in Ukraine. The statement was clear about the need to respect the UN charter and the principles of territorial sovereignty, and it called on all states to uphold the principles of international law. The point that must be made over and over again in relation to Ukraine is that the principles in the charter and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty protect all of us.

In several key aspects, this statement was stronger than last year's, especially in relation to the food and energy impacts of Russia's war, which are so important to our regional partners and in the global south. We will continue to push for more and continue to stand with Ukraine. (Time expired)