VIENTIANE, Malaysia has called for strengthened cooperation between ASEAN member countries and Australia, particularly in the area of human capital development. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his remarks at the 4th ASEAN-Australia Summit, highlighted key sectors for collaboration, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), the digital economy and clean energy. He emphasised the importance of prioritising education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to equip the workforce with the essential skills required for these emerging fields. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led his country's delegation at the summit, as part of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits held here. Anwar also congratulated Australia on its successful hosting of the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit in Melbourne in March 2024, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australia dialogue relations. The Prime Minister urged ASEAN's micro, small, and medium en terprises (MSMEs) and women-led businesses to fully utilise the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Established in Vientiane on Nov 30, 2004, during the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Summit, AANZFTA is a comprehensive economic agreement designed to enhance market access and investment opportunities across ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand, promoting a more liberal, transparent and facilitative trade environment among its signatories. Malaysia will officially assume the ASEAN Chairmanship from Laos on Oct 11. The country has previously held the chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. Founded on Aug 8, 1967, ASEAN currently comprises ten member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Source: BERNAMA News Agency