Leaders from ASEAN and Australia shared their desire to continue promoting a rules-based regional architecture, upholding international law, maintaining ASEAN’s central role, and maintaining respectful, stable, and peaceful relations between countries. Regarding the outcomes of the Summit and Vietnam’s role in promoting ASEAN - Australia relations, Professor Carl Thayer from the University of New South Wales shared his impressions of the second part of the “Melbourne Declaration”. Referring to Vietnam’s role in enhancing ASEAN - Australia relations, Professor Thayer likened it to a “crew member aboard the ASEAN ship” that wants to keep it on course and affirms to other crew members that they all share a common future. He highlighted Vietnam’s diplomatic achievements, emphasising that it has been elected twice as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, revealing the confidence of other countries in Vietnam as a sincere mediator and their wish to cooperate with the country./.