DR NG: ADMM-PLUS A CRITICAL NODE IN REGIONAL SECURITY FRAMEWORK

The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus is now an established feature in our security framework, said Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.

More than just a channel for dialogue, it is an action-oriented avenue for defence ministers from the region and beyond to come up with practical solutions to maintain peace, he explained.

"This is important for countries like Singapore because... it allows us a voice and a role to play in the security and concern around our region which we otherwise would not have (as a small country)."

Dr Ng was speaking at a press conference held at the Ministry of Defence on 30 Aug, after his return from the second ADMM-Plus held in Brunei the day before.

The ADMM-Plus was attended by ASEAN Defence Ministers and Ministers from the "Plus" countries - Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

At the press conference, Dr Ng gave his thoughts on how the high-level panel has progressed since its inauguration in 2010.

He highlighted the attendance of defence ministers and deputy defence ministers from all 18 countries, including United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, as a reflection of the panel's importance.

Dr Ng also noted the great progress made by ADMM-Plus in building military-to-military relations and interoperability among different forces from the 18 countries.

Citing the example of the 18-nation humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise conducted in Brunei this June which involved over 3000 troops, he said: "You have troops... working together... to evacuate casualties and distribute aid.

"This aspect built confidence and increased understanding, if not trust, among different militaries."

At the ADMM-Plus retreat held on 28 Aug, ministers supported several measures, such as the establishment of a hotline, to reduce tension in the South China Sea.

Dr Ng said there was also widespread commitment from the ministers to step up such practical cooperative efforts. He added that they expressed the need to address security concerns in hotspots such as the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Korea Peninsular, as well as transnational threats like cyber security, terrorism, and human and drug trafficking.

These are challenging areas which require cooperation of all countries to tackle together, he said.

"The idea of ADMM-Plus was conceived in 2006 before many of the problems have escalated or exist in their current form within the region. If we didn't have such a meeting it would be very hard for us to meet together to even exchange views."