On 13 May 2026, H.E. Mr. Chettaphan Maksamphan, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, participated in the 38^th ASEAN - Australia Forum in Sydney, Australia.

The Meeting discussed how to further advance ASEAN - Australia Dialogue Relations, as this year marks its 5^th Anniversary of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), and preparation for the 6^th ASEAN - Australia Summit to be held in November this year. The Senior Officials also exchanged views on regional and international developments, including situations in the Middle East and the energy crisis.

During the meeting, the Deputy Permanent Secretary led a discussion on cooperation on climate change and sustainable development, at which he encouraged enhanced cooperation on the Green Agenda, particularly in the areas of clean and renewable energy, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage technologies, as well as establishment of regional carbon market mechanism. He also underscored the importance of utilising existing financing facility support and tools within ASEAN-Australia frameworks, including the Aus4ASEAN Initiatives, Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I), and cooperation under the Mekong sub-regional framework. On sustainable development, he urged closer cooperation on sustainable development and Blue Economy.

Furthermore, the Deputy Permanent Secretary joined lunch with the Advisory Board of the ASEAN - Australia Centre (AAC) to discuss ways to strengthen people-to-people, cultural, and educational connections between Australia and ASEAN. The establishment of the AAC was one of the key outcomes of the ASEAN - Australia Special Summit in 2024.