“We hope that our cooperation in disaster management will also address climate change mitigation and adaptation needs, as they are closely linked to the emerging pattern of natural disasters,” said Secretary Del Rosario, who also stressed other areas of cooperation including ensuring long-term regional development by establishing linkages such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).

On the political and security front, the Secretary lauded Australia in its peace-building agenda within individual AMS, such as the focused assistance on education in Mindanao, and for supporting AMS’ call for a peaceful and prosperous region, “where universally recognized principles of international law, including UNCLOS, prevail.”

Meanwhile, Minister Bishop said, “Our areas of interests now cover trade, investment, education, development assistance, disaster relief and I thank Secretary del Rosario for acknowledging contribution that Australia made to the Philippines.”

The new ‘Colombo Plan’
Bishop said that the Australian government has adopted an education initiative referred as the new Colombo Plan, which aims at providing Australian scholarship opportunities to the young people of ASEAN.

It can be recalled that the original Colombo Plan of the 1950s brought about 40,000 young people of ASEAN to study at Australian universities, according to Bishop.

“Such is our recognition of the changing landscape and the growing strength of our region, that Australia will now take the opportunity to send our best and brightest young people into the region to study at universities in your countries,” said Minister Bishop with an aspiration for Australians to acquire new perspectives that will contribute to the Australian economy.