ASEAN defense chiefs arriving for Defense Ministers' related meetings

English>>World

Editor's Pick

ASEAN defense chiefs arriving for Defense Ministers' related meetings

(Xinhua) 17:59, August 27, 2013

Email|Print|Comments

twitter

facebook

Sina Microblog

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 27 -- ASEAN defense chiefs are arriving Tuesday for the 7th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Retreat (ADMM Retreat) in Brunei to discuss cooperation and promotion of regional peace and stability.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, and the ministers will also hold discussions with their Dialogue Partners at the 2nd ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (2nd ADMM-Plus) on Thursday.

The ASEAN Defense Ministers are expected to discuss issues relating to ASEAN defense cooperation and cooperation among the ASEAN-Plus. The ADMM Retreat is expected to discuss opportunities that can strengthen regional peace and stability as well as help achieve the ASEAN objective of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

The ADMM is the highest defense mechanism within ASEAN. The annual ADMM facilitates the ASEAN defense ministers to discuss and exchange views on defense and security issues and challenges faced in the region.

The ADMM aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness.

The ADMM-Plus is described as "a tool to engage ASEAN Dialogue Partners in dialogue and cooperation on defense and security matters" , said the ADMM website.

The first ADMM Plus Meeting was held in 2010 in Hanoi, Vietnam, where attending defense ministers agreed on five areas of practical cooperation to be pursued.

These areas include maritime security, counter-terrorism, disaster management, peacekeeping operations and military medicine.

The inaugural ADMM-Plus humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and military medicine exercise in Brunei Darussalam in June 2013 was a landmark cooperation amongst the defense forces of the ADMM Plus member states.

Australia, China, India , Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States, among others, will take part in the ADMM-Plus meeting as Dialogue Partners.

The 2nd ADMM-Plus is scheduled to culminate with the signing of the BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN Joint Declaration.

ASEAN Defense Ministers agreed to increase the frequency of the ADMM-Plus to once every two years as the ADMM-Plus cooperation is progressing significantly.

According to the ADMM website, the biennial meetings allow for "more in-depth high-level dialogue to address current and emerging security challenges of mutual concern."