CONCLUSION OF THE 7TH ANNUAL FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETING MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 12 SEPTEMBER 2025
CONCLUSION OF THE 7TH ANNUAL FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETING
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
12 SEPTEMBER 2025
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan and his counterpart, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia Penny Wong, co-chaired the 7 th Malaysia-Australia Annual Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AFMM) in Melbourne, Australia today, 12 September 2025.
Both Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the strength of the Malaysia-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), which continues to deepen across three key pillars; economic prosperity, society and technology, and defence and regional security. They also welcomed progress on new agreements covering immigration, transnational crime, education, maritime enforcement, and trade facilitation. On trade and investment, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in the green economy, agrifood, energy, digital technology, and critical minerals sectors, while strengthening partnership in halal cooperation.
The Foreign Ministers also emphasised the need to further bolster cooperation in the education sector, including allocating more scholarships for Malaysian students, increasing mobility programmes, expanding the operation of Australian universities in Malaysia and easing visa requirements for Malaysian students.
On security, both Foreign Ministers reaffirmed cooperation under the Five Power Defence Arrangements, the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Program, and Operation REDBACK. They also committed to strengthening maritime security, counter-terrorism, cyber resilience, and efforts against transnational crime.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Penny Wong voiced support for ASEAN Centrality and Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship.
Both Foreign Ministers discussed developments in the South China Sea, Myanmar, the Cambodia-Thailand conflict, and the situation in Palestine, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, underscoring that Malaysia and Australia remain close partners working together to address global challenges and build opportunities for the future.
The Meeting concluded with the adoption of the Joint Statement of the 7 th Annual Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
PUTRAJAYA
12 September 2025
