Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus kicks off

SIEM REAP, Cambodia: The 9th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus kicked off in Siem Reap city yesterday, with the attendance of defence ministers and officials from the 10-member bloc and partner countries including United States, China and India.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, as the Asean chair, in his speech prior to the opening of the meeting said amid growing uncertainties in the global economic and security situation, ADMM is playing an increasingly important role in promoting mutual understanding through dialogue based on respect, practical cooperation and capacity building.

He said many complex crises posed unprecedented threats to the foundation of peace, stability, and progress in many countries around the world.

“To overcome those crises, Asean is exerting efforts to maintain dialogue and build up trust by providing a safe, open, and constructive foundation; and promoting open, inclusive, and rules-based multilateralism is the core goal of the bloc.

At least five factors are needed to realise harmonious security in the region, namely Asean’s centrality; an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional security architecture; peoplecentred and trust-based security and defence cooperation; comprehensive security; and cooperation security, according to the Cambodian leader.

Since its inception, ADMM Plus has developed into the main multilateral defence cooperation mechanism to promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity on the basis of the Asean consensus, unity and centrality principle.