14 October 2016 — Australian Ambassador Elizabeth Jane Duke, the new top envoy of Australia to ASEAN, called on Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN, Elizabeth P. Buensuceso on October 10.

The Ambassadors discussed a variety of issues related to the forthcoming chairmanship of the Philippines of ASEAN. A flagship commemorative project they focused on is the “ASEAN Women in Business Forum” and the ASEAN Women Entrepreneur’s Network (AWEN) proposal on “Improving Participation of Women Entrepreneurs in the ASEAN Economic Community,” which aims to implement Australia’s commitment to support women’s economic engagement in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), including through its proposal to work with the Philippines to support a major ASEAN women’s business forum in the Philippines in 2017, which was announced during the First ASEAN-Australia Summit on September 07 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Australia has indicated its willingness to provide funds for the project.

Ambassador Duke thanked the Philippines’ support for the campaign of Australia to become a strategic partner of ASEAN. The Philippines was the past Country Coordinator of ASEAN-Australia relations.

Other issues the ambassadors tackled include the possible holding of a symposium to discuss the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 in 2017 wherein Australia is the oldest Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. END