Deputy Defence Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh (centre) chairs the online ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Plus on November 19 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The ASEAN Defence SeniorOfficials’ Meeting Plus (ADSOM+) was held online on November 19 under the chairof Deputy Defence Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh.
The meeting involved heads of ADSOM in ASEANcountries and Russia, China, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia,New Zealand, and India, as well as ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Hoang AnhTuan, among others.
It aimed to promote practical defence cooperation betweenASEAN countries as well as between ASEAN and partners, evaluate Vietnam’s roleas the ASEAN Chair in 2020, and make preparations for the seventh ASEAN DefenceMinisters' Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
Vinh expressed his hope that participants will worktogether effectively to finalise preparations for the seventh ADMM+ inDecember.
Recalling the outcomes of the working session in Julyto seek ways to cope with COVID-19, he affirmed the significance of defencecooperation in settling the pandemic as well as the completion of work in eachcountry and ASEAN as a whole.
He underlined that although the pandemic is still tobe tackled, it will not be able to halt defence cooperation thanks to theefforts of all sides in the fight.
ADMM+ is one of the last events to be held by Vietnamas the ASEAN Chair this year.
“I hope we will seek a common voice and encourage thebroad cooperation formed 10 years ago, while maintaining the prestige,solidarity, and central role of ASEAN,” Vinh said.
Participants discussed ASEAN intra-bloc cooperationand heard a report on the outcomes of the ADSOM+ Working Group, while sharing viewson the global and regional security situation during and after COVID-19.
They adopted a plan of action for the 2021-2023 periodfrom the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group and opined on the draft joint statement forthe seventh ADMM+.
They also underscored the important role ofmultilateral defence cooperation in responding to COVID-19 in each country.
ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Tuan hailed the effortsof Vietnam’s Defence Ministry in organising ADSOM amid the impact of the COVID-19pandemic./.
VNA
