ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2018

During the Special Summit both the Australian Prime Minister and Indonesian President met young leaders of diverse faith from both countries as part of the Australia-Indonesia Multi-Faith Youth Meeting.

The close relationship between ASEAN and Australia was highlighted by the holding of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney on 17-18 March 2018. This was the first time Australia had hosted a Summit with ASEAN Leaders in Australia. Both the former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, were amongst the leaders in attendance.

The Sydney Declaration adopted at the conclusion at the Special Summit states that the Summit ‘marks a new era in the increasingly close ASEAN-Australia relationship’. A range of initiatives resulted from the Special Summit, including the signing of the ASEAN-Australian Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to Counter International Terrorism to reflect and enhance our shared commitment to confront violent extremism and counter terrorism financing.

During the Special Summit both the Australian Prime Minister and Indonesian President met young leaders of diverse faith from both countries as part of the Australia-Indonesia Multi-Faith Youth Meeting. The meeting reinforced the strong people-to-people links between Australia and Indonesia and the important role of faith-based exchanges in promoting mutual respect and understanding.