Key Points
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is visiting Singapore.
- He will deliver a keynote address to the Shangri-La Dialogue, where US defence secretary Lloyd Austin will be present.
- The prime minister will also hold bilateral talks on energy, security and expanding trade and investment.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Singapore can be a trusted partner to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific amid growing tensions in the region.
The prime minister visited Singapore on Friday where he met with acting prime minister Lawrence Wong, announcing three climate-related initiatives.
Mr Albanese was due to meet with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, but the Asian leader is isolating with COVID-19.
The new initiatives include an innovation program on green commerce, a grant program for renewable energy and a corridor to support net-zero shipping.
The bilateral meeting also included talks on the defence relationship between the two countries, as well as energy security and expanding trade and investment.
"Now more than ever, our friendship is underpinned by trust, respect, and a shared vision for a region that is open, stable and prosperous," Mr Albanese said.
"We know that security isn't just about defence, it's also about our capacity to be less vulnerable to shocks, whether that's a future pandemic, a trade or cyber security shock or international conflict."
The comments come ahead of the prime minister delivering a keynote address to the Shangri-La Dialogue.
The speech, which will be given in front in the likes of US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, has been flagged as Mr Albanese's most significant global security address this year.
Convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the dialogue is the premier forum for government leaders and experts to discuss regional security.
Mr Wong said countries in Southeast Asia would not want to be forced to choose sides in the region.
"No one wants to be in a position where we have to either contain China's rise or limit America's presence," he said.
"Any move in either direction will have few takers in the region because no one in ASEAN wants to see a new Cold War."
He said Australia could "help to steer developments in the region towards a path that gives us the best chances to continued stability and growth".
Mr Wong noted the two countries were also looking at how to upgrade the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement.
Mr Albanese said countries in the Indo-Pacific were living in an era of strategic competition and that the two countries had a key role to play.
"One of the ways that middle powers like Australia and Singapore can assist to promote stability, security and prosperity in the region is through strengthening our bilateral arrangements," he said.
"It just gets stronger and stronger going forward, but it's also through regional engagement and through multilateralism."
Mr Albanese will also make his first trip as leader to Vietnam over the weekend, meeting the country's senior leadership.
The country of more than 100 million people has a growing middle class, and aims to have "developed nation" status by 2045.
Australia is looking to boost tourism, education and alcohol exports.
Mr Albanese will attend events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
