CANBERRA — Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong delivered a focused and forward-looking keynote at the AIIA National Conference Gala Dinner on 17 November, outlining Australia’s foreign policy achievements and the growing importance of resilience in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.
Reflecting on three years in the portfolio, Wong highlighted the week’s major diplomatic milestone—the conclusion of negotiations on a Treaty on Common Security with Indonesia, which she called “the biggest step in the strengthening of our partnership since the Soeharto-Keating Agreement.” She also emphasised Australia’s strengthened relationships across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, its stabilising work with China, and the role of middle powers in shaping a balanced regional order.
Wong warned of a global environment marked by disinformation, economic coercion and strategic competition, underscoring the need for domestic and regional resilience. “These serious times require serious leadership,” she said.
AIIA CEO Dr Bryce Wakefield praised the address:
“Minister Wong delivered one of the most comprehensive articulations of Australian foreign policy we have heard at the AIIA,” he said. “Her command of complexity and her emphasis on resilience demonstrate the depth of strategic thinking required in this moment.”
Prior to the keynote, Wong met privately with AIIA National President Dr Heather Smith PSM FAIIA, National Vice President the Hon Paul Lucas, Dr Wakefield, the Ambassador of Peru Mr Vitaliano Gaspar Gallardo Valencia—who hosted a reception for young professionals and VIPs the night before—and the Sabina Woelkner, Director of the Australian and New Zealand Office of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the conference’s principal sponsor.
A link to the foreign minister’s speech, as well as to other conference keynote speeches, is available on the AIIA website.
