Australia is invested, engaged and committed to Southeast Asia. The Australian Government has made deepening our engagement with the region a priority.  Australia and Southeast Asia are working together to create a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, through upgraded relationships, enhanced trade and investment ties, and targeted development programs.

To deliver against its commitment, and in addition to the package of initiatives announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit (4-6 March 2024), the Australian Government has:

• Undertaken, since May 2022, 67 outbound bilateral visits to Southeast Asia by Australian ministers (as of 23 January 2025).
• Agreed to upgrade our relationships with Brunei, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam and enhance the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Increased ODA to an estimated $1.26 billion in 2024-25, in line with the additional $470 million in ODA to Southeast Asia over four years.
• Expanded the cap on the Emerging Markets Impact Investment Fund (EMIIF) to mobilise more private sector finance including in Southeast Asia.
• Appointed a Special Envoy for Southeast Asia and delivered a Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 to bolster our economic engagement with the region.
• Announced a new Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships program to deepen government agencies' relationships in the region.
• Supported the inaugural cohort of 100 Australia for ASEAN scholars and is supporting a further 132 new Australia for ASEAN scholars commencing in 2025.
• Established and continued to expand DFAT's Office of Southeast Asia, including to support increased engagement with Timor-Leste.

The Government is also:

• Investing $200 million into an Australia-Indonesia Climate and Infrastructure Partnership to support Indonesia's clean energy transition.
• Offering new specialised scholarships complementing the Australia Awards scholarships program, accessible to Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
• Designing a new scholarships program for Southeast Asian partners to offer more Australian education and training opportunities to the region.
• Doubling the number of Canberra Fellowships Program visits from the Indo-Pacific, offering around 10 additional visits per year.

Australia shares a region and a future with Southeast Asia. We will continue to build on our longstanding connections with the region, and to support a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, where ASEAN and ASEAN-led institutions hold the centre.