A pan-Asian maritime forum was held in Melbourne earlier this week.
Shipping Australia’s Mehrangiz Shahbakhsh, who attended this invitation-only event, reported that some of the themes discussed included safety, security, economy, ocean health, mechanisms to foster regional collaboration, people-to-people maritime diplomacy, the blue economy, regular maritime dialogues, capacity-building maritime training and exercises, the High Seas Treaty, and maritime governance among other topics.
“It was also emphasised in one presentation that we don’t need more mechanisms and treaties, instead, we need to maximise the existing rules,” Mehrangiz noted.
Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Australia’s current Minister for Foreign Affairs and who has held a slew of Ministerial appointments, gave a speech at the opening of the conference.
“Our engagement has gone to a comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and Australia, the formalisation of our permanent commitment to ASEAN centrality, the formalisation of a truth that Australia doesn’t just acknowledge, we embrace, we share a region, and we share a future. We are bound by the geography that fate has chosen for us, and we are strengthened by the partnership we choose for ourselves. Our nations and our peoples will benefit from the peace, stability, and security we build together. And we all benefit as each of us succeeds and thrives. Our belief in shared success underpins our commitment to increased economic partnership… today marks a significant moment for both Australia and ASEAN as we gather officials and academics to enhance our collective economic security and environmental interests within a stable maritime domain. This event serves as a platform to foster innovative solutions that support our identities as maritime nations,” Senator Wong told delegates.
Senator Wong also announced that the Australian Federal Government would commit a further $40 million over the next four years to enhance Australia’s southeast Asian maritime partnerships.
“This [funding] will expand our maritime cooperation and [will] contribute to security, prosperity in the management of maritime domains within the region”.
