EVENT RECAP 14th ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand (AANZ) Dialogue

The key takeaways highlighted in the discussion include: First, the participants acknowledged the deep and long-standing ties between ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand. [...] This included the role of dialogue partners in maintaining and applying ASEAN centrality; the possibility of minilateral and bilateral arrangements, which would ideally support ASEAN centrality and grassroots-level initiatives; and how there needs to be an evolution in policy and practice of ASEAN centrality while maintaining their grounding principles. [...] A strong concern in this session was the need to make a detailed assessment of what ASEAN’s full range of dialogue partners contribute to ASEAN, and for this assessment to be a basis for reviewing Australian and New Zealand policies for the future. [...] The key takeaways highlighted in the discussion were: The overarching importance was the role of diplomacy in ASEAN, the process of forging such ties and keeping in mind of the priorities of this bloc. [...] Closing Remarks Key takeaways from the Dialogue • The ongoing effects of the pandemic continue to manifest in different ways, much of which remain difficult to anticipate in the medium-to-long-term.