Australia is invested, engaged and committed to Southeast Asia. In May 2022, the Australian Government announced its intent to deepen our engagement with the region as a priority. Since then, the Foreign Minister Penny Wong has visited every country in Southeast Asia, with the exception of Myanmar. This is a clear statement of Australia's intent and priorities in the region.

To deliver against its commitment, the Australian Government has:

• Facilitated over 40 visits between Southeast Asia and Australia by senior Ministers, including four by the Australian Prime Minister, since May 2022.
• Agreed to upgrade our relationships with Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam and fully implemented the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Increased ODA to an estimated $1.24 billion in 2023-24, 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 committed to delivering 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 100 Australia for ASEAN scholars and committed to hosting a Special Summit to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations in March 2024.
• 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 open, stable, and prosperous, where ASEAN and ASEAN-led institutions hold the centre.