ASEAN DEFENCE MINISTERS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING REGIONAL SECURITY

The significant progress made by the series of ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meetings (ADMM) in strengthening security and defence cooperation, is something to be lauded.

Since its inauguration on 9 May 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, the ADMM has come a long way as a historic event in the evolution of ASEAN. It is a body within ASEAN to ensure peace and stability in the region.

These were some of the things which Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen acknowledged when he signed the Joint Declaration after the conclusion of the 5th ADMM on 19 May.

Themed "Strengthening defence cooperation of ASEAN in the global community to face new challenges", the 5th ADMM saw the ASEAN defence ministers pledging to strengthen regional defence and security cooperation among ASEAN member states through concrete and practical cooperation to address defence and common security issues.

Dr Ng, who is in Indonesia to attend the 5th ADMM, also welcomed the initiative for Indonesia and Singapore to co-host the inaugural ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Table-Top Exercise. This was one example of positive progress in practical cooperation in HADR. The exercise will be held in both countries in July this year.

During the meeting, the ASEAN defence ministers discussed regional security issues of mutual interest and welcomed the good progress in practical cooperation under the ambit of the ADMM and the ADMM-Plus. They also supported the formal establishment of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Groups in the five areas of HADR; maritime security; counter-terrorism; military medicine and peacekeeping operations. These groups will provide a platform for the 18 ADMM-Plus member states to collaborate in addressing regional security challenges and enhancing mutual understanding.

This is the first ADMM since the inaugural ADMM-Plus held in October 2010, which involved defence ministers and senior defence officials from the ASEAN and "Plus" countries - Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

During the event, Dr Ng also met with Cambodian Defence Minister General (GEN) Tea Banh, Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Thai Defence Minister GEN Prawit Wongsuwon and Vietnamese Defence Minister GEN Phung Quang Thanh. Dr Ng and the other ASEAN Defence Ministers will call on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 20 May.

Accompanying Dr Ng is Permanent Secretary for Defence Chiang Chie Foo and other senior MINDEF officials.

The 6th ADMM will be held in Cambodia in 2012.