Ambassador to ASEAN

Today I announce the appointment of Ms Tiffany McDonald as Australia’s next Ambassador of Australia to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This year ASEAN and Australia celebrate 50 years of dialogue partnership. As ASEAN’s first dialogue partner and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner, Australia is strongly committed to ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Australia sees ASEAN at the centre of a stable, peaceful, prosperous, and secure region.

Deepening economic, climate, infrastructure, strategic and people-to-people ties with Southeast Asia is a priority for the Albanese Government, and we are working to increase our two-way trade and investment with the region through Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

Australia is pleased to be hosting a Special Summit in March 2024 to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. We look forward to welcoming ASEAN leaders to Australia.

Ms McDonald is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has previously served overseas as High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, and at diplomatic posts in France, Holy See, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

I thank outgoing Ambassador Will Nankervis for his contributions to advancing Australia’s partnership with ASEAN since 2020.