27 August 2015 - Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN Elizabeth P. Buensuceso recently handed over the country coordinatorship for ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations to Myanmar after leading the ASEAN-led mechanism for almost three years at the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) in Jakarta.

In a simple handover ceremony held at the Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN’s residence in Jakarta, Ambassador Buensuceso highlighted the achievements of Philippine coordinatorship with the elevation of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations to strategic level in 2014, the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in November 2014, and the agreement at the recent ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur to hold biennial summits starting in 2016 before symbolically transferring the ASEAN and Australian flags to Myanmar Ambassador to ASEAN Min Lwin, the new coordinator for ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations at the CPR.

“I am proud to have been the coordinator of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations for almost 3 years. It has been a very productive and fulfilling task. As the coordinatorship now goes to the good hands of Myanmar, I expect that the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership will be further strengthened in the years to come,” Ambassador Buensuceso stressed during the ceremony witnessed by ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Alicia Bala, members of the CPR and some Ambassadors from ASEAN Dialogue Partners.

Ambassador Buensuceso reassured that the Philippines will always be supportive in the implementation of the decisions of Leaders and Ministers as embodied in the new ASEAN-Australia Plan of Action (POA) for strategic partnership, and the various Statements and Declarations, including the convening of the first regular biennial ASEAN-Australia Leaders’ Summit next year in Lao PDR.

Ambassador Buensuceso also thanked Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Simon Merrifield and his team for working tirelessly in promoting and strengthening ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. She said that Ambassador Merrifield’s presence in Jakarta since October 2013 as Australia’s first resident ambassador accredited to ASEAN and the establishment of the Mission of Australia to ASEAN are profound manifestations of Australia’s strong commitment to deepen its partnership with ASEAN.

She also highlighted Australia’s role as one of ASEAN’s most enduring and most important Dialogue Partners and a very active partner in all three pillars of ASEAN community building efforts.

“We also thank Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for raising concern on China’s reclamation in the South China Sea at the recent ASEAN-Australia Post Ministerial Conference in Kuala Lumpur and Australia’s consistent support for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law,” Ambassador Buensuceso said.

Ambassador Merrifield thanked Ambassador Buensuceso for the strengthening of Australia’s relations with ASEAN in various mechanisms through having the Philippines as Country Coordinator for the past three years. He also cited the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit in 2014, the elevation of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations to strategic partnership, the adoption of a new POA and the decision to commence biennial ASEAN-Australia summits in 2016 as some of the most important highlights of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations during the Philippine coordinatorship.

Australia, which became ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner in 1974, was the sixth largest trading partner of ASEAN, and ASEAN was Australia’s second largest trading partner in 2013. Australia ranked sixth among Dialogue Partners investing into ASEAN, with total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows amounting to US$2 billion in 2013. END