The Australian Business Summit Council Inc (ABSC Inc) reinforced its role as a bridge between diplomacy and business with Connect & Cheers 2: An Evening of Business and Diplomacy at the five-star Hyatt Regency, Sydney on Thursday 9 October 2025.
The event brought together 140 VIPs and guests from the diplomatic corps, including HE Ambassador Anwar Muktar Mohammed (Embassy of Ethiopia), Mr Ahmed Abdelatif (Embassy of Sudan), Dr Vajiv Jafarov (Embassy of Azerbaijan), and Mr Richard Broinowski AO, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, South Korea and Mexico, as well as civic leaders and senior executives representing Australia’s multicultural business community.
Consuls General from Italy, Serbia, Romania, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Paraguay and Vanuatu joined colleagues representing the United States, China, Japan, France, Hungary, South Korea, Vanuatu, Thailand, the Philippines, Argentina and El Salvador, and representatives from the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce, the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Australia, the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, the Australia Bangladesh Business Forum, the Australian Xiang Ao Development Promotion Association, the Australian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, MUSIAD Sydney and the Export Council of Australia, alongside Councillors Daniel Han (City of Ryde), Mas Meuross and Sylvia Alafaci (City of Canada Bay), and the former Mayor of Warringah, Mr John Caputo OAM, connecting the evening’s global focus with local priorities.
ABSC Inc President Dr Frank Alafaci remarked with characteristic warmth and wit: “We like to say Connect & Cheers is Sydney’s most productive excuse to enjoy a cocktail—and tonight, we intend to prove it again, not just by sharing business cards, but by exchanging ideas, values and opportunities in a space where a conversation could become the spark for a future partnership.”
Dr Alafaci also outlined ABSC Inc’s expanding role as a trusted convenor at the intersection of business, government and diplomacy. He highlighted two flagship initiatives.
The first is EKONOMOS, ABSC’s international business affairs magazine, which publishes thought-provoking contributions from diplomatic officials, scholars and executives shaping the global economy.
The second is the ABSC Connect Global Expo, scheduled for ICC Sydney in 2027 and envisioned as Australia’s premier multisector trade showcase. With country pavilions, sector showcases and investor roundtables, the Expo aims to catalyse collaborations among nations, companies and innovators.
As the evening drew to a close, the VIPs and guests raised their glasses for a final toast led by the ABSC Inc President: “To diplomacy. To business. To partnerships with purpose. And to friendships forged—once again—over a very fine cocktail,” capturing the professional yet personal, refined yet relaxed environment where ideas flowed as freely as conversation and cross-cultural understanding laid the foundations for collaboration.
More than just another networking platform, Connect & Cheers 2: An Evening of Business and Diplomacy reaffirmed the ABSC inc’s reputation for elite engagement and its commitment to keeping Australia at the heart of global dialogue.
As one attendee observed, “You can feel the energy in the room—this is where diplomacy meets real opportunity.”
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