I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, and I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

It is a great and humbling honour to join with you today to honour the memory of one of the most remarkable leaders this country has ever known.

Lowitja O’Donoghue was, to use the words of Noel Pearson, “a leader's leader”.

As we mourn her, we give thanks for the better Australia she helped make possible. Perhaps even more importantly, we reflect on the possibility of an even better Australia, which she placed so clearly before us.

ALICIA PAYNE, MEMBER FOR CANBERRA: Today is International Women's Day where we celebrate the contribution of women to all aspects of life and recognise that we have more to do to achieve gender equality. But I'm so proud to be part of a government and have a prime minister that truly believes in that and are already taking big steps, in relatively short time, to get there.

Our thoughts are with our friend Joel Fitzgibbon and his family following the tragic death of his son, Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, in a Special Forces training accident.

The extraordinary men and women who volunteer to serve in the Australian Defence Force do our nation proud every day.

Every death in the service of Australia carries the heavy weight of loss and sadness. The tragedy of a life cut cruelly short.

This tragic accident is a harsh reminder that there are no easy days for those who defend our nation.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: It is indeed an honour to host my friend Prime Minister Chinh here in Canberra. It has been a pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to Australia and to return the generous hospitality that I received in Vietnam last June. Coming together like this energises the Australia-Vietnam relationship.

1. Viet Nam and Australia have built a strong and broad relationship through mutual strategic trust and understanding since establishing diplomatic relations in 1973. The Viet Nam Australia Strategic Partnership, announced in 2018, supported the deepening of ties across all areas of the bilateral relationship. Our friendship and cooperation are underpinned by complementary economies, converging interests and deep people-to-people ties.

Today Prime Minister Albanese and the Prime Minister of Vietnam, His Excellency Mr Pham Minh Chính, announced a major upgrade of the Australia – Vietnam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Our relationship is underpinned by strategic trust, mutual respect and shared ambition. Last year, Australia and Vietnam celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It has indeed been an honour to host leaders from ASEAN and Timor-Leste here in Melbourne. I note that the Prime Minister of New Zealand also participated in the forum. This was to commemorate 50 years of partnership so that we can shape the future that Australia wants to see.

Working with our neighbours and friends is delivering for Australians. It delivers jobs, opportunities and security. We live in the region of the world with the fastest growth in human history. That presents an opportunity from that proximity going forward.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Thank you for joining us. It has been a privilege to welcome the leaders of Southeast Asia to Melbourne this week, to mark 50 years of formal partnership between Australia and ASEAN. I was very pleased to co-host this historic Summit with Prime Minister Sonexay of Laos. Australia shares a warm bond with Lao PDR and it's fitting that one of the achievements of this week was the upgrading of Australia's relationship with Lao PDR to a Comprehensive Partnership.

50 Years of ASEAN-Australia Relations

1. We, Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, gathered in Melbourne, Australia on 6 March 2024 for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations ('Special Summit').

We, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, gathered here in Melbourne on 6 March 2024 on the occasion of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations.

We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that is substantive, meaningful and mutually beneficial, based on friendship, mutual trust, shared interests and a positive vision for our region's future.