Today I met China’s President Xi Jinping in the margins of the G20 Summit Meeting.

This was another important step towards the stabilisation of the Australia-China relationship. 

China is a major power with global interests and it was valuable to exchange views on challenges to international peace and security, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

We also discussed bilateral, trade, consular and human rights issues, and looked forward to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in December.

This weekend Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attending the 2^nd Annual ASEAN-Australia Summit and the 17^th East Asian Summit (EAS) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Prime Minister’s attendance at the summits demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deepening our engagement with Southeast Asia and addressing the shared challenges facing our region. 

As part of the Albanese Government’s efforts to deepen Australia’s economic engagement with our region, the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade and Tourism today announce Mr Nicholas Moore as Special Envoy for Southeast Asia.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Can I kick off, Minister, by saying it is wonderful to have you in our part of the world. It was my great honour to meet you in Kyiv with President Zelenskyy and to convey our support for what is a courageous struggle of the Ukrainian people in standing up for your national sovereignty. But in doing so, standing up for the international rule of law as well. Since we met, you would know that we have increased our support for Ukraine up to now some $655 million, $475 million dollars of that being military assistance.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Australia's attendance at the ASEAN-Australian Summit that we've just held, and the East Asia Summit, is a reaffirmation of Australia's unwavering support for ASEAN’s centrality, the ASEAN-led architecture and ASEAN outlook for the Indo-Pacific. Australia is proud to be ASEAN's oldest dialogue partner and its comprehensive strategic partner. We will celebrate 50 years of that partnership in 2024, and the ASEAN members are keen to visit Australia at that time.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh of Laos have today announced their intention to elevate the bilateral relationship between Australia and Laos to a Comprehensive Partnership.

The announcement followed their meeting in Phnom Penh on the sidelines of the 2^nd Annual ASEAN-Australia Summit and East Asia Summit and is part of the Government’s strategy to deepen Australia’s engagement in Southeast Asia.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Prime Minister, I am very pleased to be meeting you in-person after we had such a very warm conversation on the phone yesterday. It is good to be here in Cambodia where we are meeting world leaders and discussing ways to address the pressing global issues which we confront.

HIS EXCELLENCY PHANKHAM VIPHAVANH, PRIME MINISTER OF THE LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC: I’m very pleased and delighted to have the opportunity to meet Your Excellency Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia today. Certainly, this is the very first time since Australia has formed a new Government. And I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations to Your Excellency on assuming the Office of Prime Minister of Australia.

Mr Speaker, there are some basic yardsticks by which any civilised society should measure itself.

One of them is that everyone has the right to a safe and respectful workplace.

And yet here we are, nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century, still working towards this goal.

The fact that workplaces have not been safe or respectful for so many Australians is unacceptable.

As is the fact that the previous government dismissed this goal as impractical, not worth striving for. That what we had was somehow good enough.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join world leaders at premier international and regional summits in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand from 11–19 November.

The Prime Minister will meet with counterparts at the East Asia, ASEAN, G20 and APEC Summits to discuss the most pressing strategic, economic and climate challenges facing the region and world.

The Prime Minister will travel to Phnom Penh from 11–14 November to attend the East Asia Summit, the region’s premier leader led forum for strategic discussion.