Laos plays key role in enhancing Australia-Asean relations: Envoy

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The Australian Ambassador to Asean is visiting Laos this week, giving a clear signal that Laos plays a key role in advancing Australia-Asean relations in the coming years.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">“Laos is a very important partner for Australia because of our strong bilateral relationship and cooperation which spans 70 years, and also in the Asean context, because Laos is Australia’s Country Coordinator in Asean,” Will Nankervis said in a written response to questions put by the Vientiane Times.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">“This is a special role – it means Laos is responsible for guiding Asean-Australia relations until 2024. As Australia’s Ambassador to Asean, I am here to consult with and listen to our Lao counterparts about how we can advance Asean-Australia relations.”</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Nankervis arrived in Vientiane on March 28. During his five-day visit, he is meeting with senior Lao foreign ministry officials, development partners and members of the business community. He also went to Luang Prabang province where he visited Australia-funded Asean development projects.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Laos became a member of Asean in 1997. Laos currently serves as Australia’s country coordinator for Asean and will be the Chair of Asean in 2024. In light of this, Australia views Laos as an important partner in driving the Australia-Asean cooperation agenda.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">According to the ambassador, Australia became Asean’s first ever dialogue partner in 1974. The Asean region of 622 million people is vital to Australia in many ways, he said, adding that the two economic blocs have deep connections through communities, institutions and businesses – including links forged through education.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">“Asean as a bloc is Australia’s second largest trading partner. And Asean is of key importance to our foreign policy,” Nankervis said. Australia strongly supports Asean centrality as it is in line with its Indo-Pacific Strategy, he added.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">“Asean is at the centre of the Indo-Pacific region geographically, politically and strategically. Australia wants to see a stable, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is open and inclusive and has Asean at its centre. We strongly support Asean centrality, with Asean playing a central role in the affairs of the region.”</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">According to Nankervis, Australia has established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Asean.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">This partnership paves the way for Australia to engage with the region in the future, in areas such as education, energy transition, climate change, digitalisation, and skills for the economies of the future in a context of rapid digitalisation.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Australia also supports the Asean-led regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, which is the world’s largest free trade agreement.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Under the Asean and bilateral cooperation framework, Laos benefits from Australian aid, including support for the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Australia has donated more than 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Laos.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Australia is also helping Laos to improve human resources so that the country can generate a skilled workforce to meet national development needs and build infrastructure for closer connection with the rest of the region.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 11.25pt; line-height: 18.4pt; background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition, Australia will help the Lao business community to improve management and research skills so that companies are better placed to compete in the age of globalisation. Other Australian aid projects to Laos include helping Laos to combat human trafficking.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Source: <a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/04/01/laos-plays-key-role-in-enhancing-australia-asean-relations-envoy" target="_blank">The Star</a></span></span></p>