ASEAN DEFENCE MINISTERS ATTEND RETREAT IN THAILAND

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean and his ASEAN counterparts are in Bangkok, Thailand, for the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat from 2 to 4 Nov.

During discussions held on 3 Nov, the defence ministers exchanged views on regional security issues. They also made further progress on the ADMM s external engagement with non-ASEAN countries via the establishment of the ADMM-Plus.

The ADMM-Plus concept was adopted at the second ADMM held in Singapore two years ago. It is part of an evolving, open and inclusive regional security framework that allows the ASEAN defence track to engage countries beyond Southeast Asia in dealing with security challenges like maritime security, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and transnational terrorism which cannot be solved only by countries within this region.

As part of the ADMM programme in Bangkok, the ASEAN defence ministers jointly called on Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on 3 Nov.

Mr Teo also conducted bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the ADMM with other defence ministers. These included the Vietnamese Defence Minister General (GEN) Phung Quang Thanh; Laotian Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of National Defense Lieutenant-General Douangchay Phichit; Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of National Defence GEN Tea Banh; Bruneian Deputy Defence Minister Yasmin Umar; Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro; Malaysian Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; Myanmar Deputy Defence Minister Major-General Aye Myint; and Thai Defence Minister GEN Prawit Wongsuwon.

The ASEAN defence ministers had met in Pattaya in February for the third ADMM, during which the idea of the retreat was mooted. The retreat is an opportunity for the ministers to discuss issues of shared interest, in particular the ADMM-Plus initiative; enhance mutual trust and understanding; and get to know one another better.

The ADMM is a key pillar in the ASEAN security community. It provides the ASEAN defence establishments with a platform for open and constructive dialogue on strategic issues at the ministerial level as well as a platform to promote practical cooperation among the ASEAN armed forces.