In October 2024, four key Southeast Asian countries became partners of BRICS, making the organisation much closer to home for Australians. So why have Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam put themselves on a path to membership?

Ukraine faces mounting challenges as battlefield victory becomes unlikely, with Donald Trump’s proposed “peace plan” offering a ceasefire based on territorial concessions. While Russia’s vulnerabilities may push Vladimir Putin toward negotiations, the outcome risks freezing the conflict and undermining the international rules-based order.

On 26 November 2024, the Australian Institute of International Affairs NSW hosted Dr Alexey Muraviev, Associate Professor of […]

Amid the Ukraine conflict, Central Asian states are leveraging a multi-vector foreign policy to balance historic ties with Russia and expanding partnerships with global powers. This strategic pivot highlights their resilience in navigating a complex and shifting geopolitical landscape.

Opening Speech for the 2024 AIIA National Conference AIIA National Vice President Zara Kimpton OAM FAIIA 11 November 2024   On behalf of […]

The fact that the Pacific Community (SPC) has been forced to hold its annual executive meeting thousands of kilometres away from its headquarters in Noumea this year was an unsettling reminder that decolonisation in the Pacific Island region is still an unfinished project. These challenges underscore the need for an inclusive and resilient regional framework as the Blue Pacific seeks a united future.

In a recent piece in Australian Outlook, Michael Lawriwsky criticises some of the points I made in an earlier article suggesting that the question of NATO expansion was crucial to the onset of the Russian invasion. His arguments are either partial or incorrect, and do not address most of the questions I raise. 

If a blame narrative gains traction in Ukraine, it could deepen internal divisions and jeopardise the nation's democratic future. Russia stands to benefit from such disinformation, amplifying a “stab-in-the-back” myth to shift responsibility for the war onto the West.

The proposition for Bangladesh and ASEAN to move closer together in partnership, and unity, seems to have stalled. While both sides are eager for Dhaka to join, ASEAN should be wary of importing new challenges, especially given its inability to address ongoing regional hostilities. 

Colin Chapman, former Australian Outlook columnist, world renowned journalist, tv presenter, and author passed away this weekend. He was an erudite and careful thinker whose insights will be deeply missed. 

Despite its remote likelihood anytime soon, a two-state solution is the only practical way of ending the present Israel-Palestine conflict. What is more immediately required by the Australian government, however, is an answer to the growing domestic disunity caused by that conflict.