Peace, stability, restraint.
As global leaders met in Laos' capital for further talks, the same words kept cropping up.
After visiting Vientiane cafe - Naked Espresso - on Wednesday morning and sipping on a cup of their specially created Prime Minister's blend, Mr Turnbull said "peace and stability" were essential for continued economic growth for developing countries such as Laos.
Reiterating that Australia was not a claimant in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Mr Turnbull said it was nevertheless playing a role in encouraging all parties to create a Code of Conduct in the waters - something that has remained elusive for more than a decade.
"Our interests are wholly and solely with tensions be allayed, disputes being resolved and tensions being settled," he told reporters in Vientiane.
When he addressed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) he again highlighted Australia's role as a peace broker in the region.
"There's no doubt that we're living in an increasingly complex and dynamic region, as we can see from developments in the South China Sea," he said.
He proposed a special ASEAN-Australia Leaders' Summit for 2018.
The summit, which would bring together leaders from South-East Asia, would aim to deepen economic ties through closer links between ASEAN and Australian businesses, and bolster strategic partnership on issues such as counter-terrorism.
In his second bilateral at his Vientiane trip, Prime Minister Turnbull met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday, with each congratulating the other on their recent electoral wins.
"We have so much in common, so many shared perspectives, shared commitments to the rule of law as a guiding principle in international relations," Mr Turnbull said.
"We have to ensure peace and stability."
Mr Abe had a similar message.
"We share fundamental values in this increasingly severe security environment in East Asia (that) will eventually lead to our common goal of assuring regional stability, as well as peace."
Meanwhile, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on the South China Sea: "All parties must be able to restrain themselves. All parties must put forward peaceful dispute resolution".
He also reiterated calls for a code of conduct, adding the hotly contested waters "shall not become the 'power projection' of big powers".
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