Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop (Source: ualm.org.au)
Sydney (VNA) – Australia’s Minister
for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop began her six-day visit to Thailand and the
Philippines on August 2 to enhance the bilateral relations and promote Australia’s
economic and security benefits in Southeast Asia.
In Bangkok, Bishop is scheduled to meet with her
Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai and other Thai ministers and leaders to
discuss measures to increase the role of Australia in political, economic and
security issues.
On this occasion, Australia will officially
launch a new embassy in Bangkok, which is considered one of the biggest
external events of Australia this year.
She added that Australia and Thailand are
celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2017. Thailand is the
eighth biggest trade partner of Australia.
In Manila, Bishop will attend the East Asia
Summit, the ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum
along with activities to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of the bloc.
The meetings will focus discussion on major
challenges in the region, including the East Sea matter, the Korean Peninsula,
and terrorism.
Bishop said she is co-chairing the
ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney of the New South Wales State in March
2018 to affirm the significant contributions of ASEAN to promoting regional
peace and prosperity.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam.-VNA