The 6th ASEAN-Australia Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meeting was held on 6 June 2016 at the ASEAN Secretariat. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. U Min Lwin, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to ASEAN and H.E. Simon Philip Merrifield, Ambassador of Australia to ASEAN. Members of the Committee of Permanent Representative to ASEAN (CPR) and their representatives, as well as officials of the ASEAN Secretariat were also in attendance.
Both ASEAN and Australia reaffirmed their strong commitment to further strengthen the strategic partnership through the implementation of the ASEAN-Australia Plan of Action (2015-2019), in potential areas of cooperation, such as innovation, science and technology, renewable energy, food security, connectivity, gender issues, youth leadership and private sector development.
To further support ASEAN integration and the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community blueprint, the Post-2015 Agenda for ASEAN Connectivity and the implementation of the IAI Work Plan III (2016-2020), Australia extended the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Programme Phase II (AADCP II) to December 2019 with a total contribution of up to AUD 57.8 million.
Both sides exchanged views on the future direction of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations and the importance of ASEAN-led mechanisms, namely, the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) in promoting peace and stability in the region
The JCC was held in preparation of the convening of the first biennial ASEAN-Australia Leaders’ Summit scheduled in September 2016 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.