South and Southeast Asia (SSG)

Eight years ago today, an Arbitral Tribunal, constituted under the UN Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), made a unanimous, clear, and binding ruling in the South China Sea arbitration between the Philippines and China.

Turkmenistan covers an area of 488,100 square kilometres and is bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran, with the Caspian Sea to the west. The country's diverse ethnic make-up includes 85 per cent Turkmen, 5 per cent Uzbek and 4 per cent Russian, along with other ethnic minorities.

Tajikistan is the smallest of the five central Asian states, with a total land area of 143,099 square kilometres – approximately twice the size of Tasmania. It is culturally diverse due to its unique geographical position at the crossroad of East Asia, the Middle East and Russia. 

The Kyrgyz Republic is land-locked and spans 199,951 square kilometres of rugged terrain, bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China.

List of grant recipients for 2023-24

Southeast Asia offers Australia's live arts and entertainment companies economic opportunities and creative possibilities. As Southeast Asia's middle class grows, there will be more demand for cultural experiences.

The professional services sector (including legal, accounting, architecture, engineering and consulting services) is growing strongly in Southeast Asia. This reflects fast economic growth rates, rising trade and investment, the development of a range of industries, and major corporations coming to the region for supply chain reasons, all of which necessitates demand for professional services.

Southeast Asia's digital economy is growing rapidly and will have a transformative impact on commerce.

Southeast Asia's fast-growing population will create a major increase in demand for healthcare services and infrastructure to 2040. This will put significant pressure on health authorities across the region.