At the event (Source: VNA) Singapore (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led byDefence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich attended the 12th ASEANDefence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the fifth ADMM Plus in Singapore fromOctober 18-20.
The event attracted defence chiefs of 10 Southeast Asiannations and partner countries, including the US, Russia, India, Japan, China,the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Ministers reached consensus on fostering trust, promotingdefence cooperation in anti-terrorism and driving back security challengesthreatening peace and stability in the region.
As an active member of ADMM and ADMM Plus, Vietnam put forth a number ofinitiatives to build practical and effective regional defence cooperation,contributing to reinforcing mutual trust and understanding among nations.
According to Lieut. Gen. Vu Chien Thang, head of the DefenceMinistry’s Department of External Relations, said ministers discussed anti-terrorism,trust building measures, non-traditional security challenges, trans-nationalcrimes, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, piracy and armed piracy atsea. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace,security, stability, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, as well as theneed to reinforce trust, exercise self-restraint, avoid actions that furthercomplicate the situation, and deal with disputes by peaceful means in line withinternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea.
Highlighting ASEAN’s central role and partner countries’responsibility for strengthening ADMM and ADMM Plus mechanisms, ministersagreed to adopt several important documents, including the “Our Eyes”Intelligence Initiative, the framework guidelines on preventing air militaryencounters and the observer mechanism for ADMM Plus experts, as well asdiscussed admitting more members to the mechanism.
On the sidelines of the events were informal meetingsbetween ASEAN defence ministers and the US Secretary of Defence, Chinese andJapanese Defence Ministers.
According to Thang, Defence Minister Lich highlightedVietnam’s stance on issues under discussion with clear messages, saying thatthe maintenance of ASEAN consensus and central role in regional securityarchitecture is a common interest of parties and responsibility of partnernations.
He proposed specific measures to strengthen practicalcooperation with China, the US and Japan. Accordingly, he suggested launching ahotline between ASEAN and Chinese defence ministers, holding an exchangebetween young ASEAN and Chinese officers for the first time in Vietnam, andestablishing a joint working group between the bloc and China.
Vietnam proposed the US improve ASEAN’s capacity regardingmaritime security, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue and post-warrecovery, including chemical pollution treatment.
The country expressed support for contents in the VientianeVision document and urged Japan to continue assisting ASEAN in environmentprotection, especially water resources security.
Lich affirmed that Vietnam backs the internationalcommunity’s efforts and cooperation expansion to prevent terrorism andterrorism support activities in any form.
On maritime security, Vietnam welcomed progresses that ASEANand China made in the process of building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea,called on parties concerned to seriously implement the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the East Sea, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea,and the framework guidelines on preventing air military encounters recentlyadopted by the ADMM.
The Vietnamese side also expressed its readiness to share effectiveways to foster trust such as holding border exchanges with neighbouringcountries and border guards from China, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.
Thang said the events reflected Vietnam’s active andproactive involvement in dealing with common issues in the region, contributingto strengthening mutual trust and understanding among countries, for the sakeof peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Commenting on Minister Lich’s bilateral meetings withpartners to step up defence links, Thang said countries spoke highly of therole in and active contributions to regional common issues by Vietnam and theVietnam People’s Army in particular, affirming that they will back Vietnam inits position as ASEAN Chair 2020.-VNA
The event attracted defence chiefs of 10 Southeast Asiannations and partner countries, including the US, Russia, India, Japan, China,the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Ministers reached consensus on fostering trust, promotingdefence cooperation in anti-terrorism and driving back security challengesthreatening peace and stability in the region.
As an active member of ADMM and ADMM Plus, Vietnam put forth a number ofinitiatives to build practical and effective regional defence cooperation,contributing to reinforcing mutual trust and understanding among nations.
According to Lieut. Gen. Vu Chien Thang, head of the DefenceMinistry’s Department of External Relations, said ministers discussed anti-terrorism,trust building measures, non-traditional security challenges, trans-nationalcrimes, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, piracy and armed piracy atsea. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace,security, stability, maritime and aviation safety and freedom, as well as theneed to reinforce trust, exercise self-restraint, avoid actions that furthercomplicate the situation, and deal with disputes by peaceful means in line withinternational law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea.
Highlighting ASEAN’s central role and partner countries’responsibility for strengthening ADMM and ADMM Plus mechanisms, ministersagreed to adopt several important documents, including the “Our Eyes”Intelligence Initiative, the framework guidelines on preventing air militaryencounters and the observer mechanism for ADMM Plus experts, as well asdiscussed admitting more members to the mechanism.
On the sidelines of the events were informal meetingsbetween ASEAN defence ministers and the US Secretary of Defence, Chinese andJapanese Defence Ministers.
According to Thang, Defence Minister Lich highlightedVietnam’s stance on issues under discussion with clear messages, saying thatthe maintenance of ASEAN consensus and central role in regional securityarchitecture is a common interest of parties and responsibility of partnernations.
He proposed specific measures to strengthen practicalcooperation with China, the US and Japan. Accordingly, he suggested launching ahotline between ASEAN and Chinese defence ministers, holding an exchangebetween young ASEAN and Chinese officers for the first time in Vietnam, andestablishing a joint working group between the bloc and China.
Vietnam proposed the US improve ASEAN’s capacity regardingmaritime security, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue and post-warrecovery, including chemical pollution treatment.
The country expressed support for contents in the VientianeVision document and urged Japan to continue assisting ASEAN in environmentprotection, especially water resources security.
Lich affirmed that Vietnam backs the internationalcommunity’s efforts and cooperation expansion to prevent terrorism andterrorism support activities in any form.
On maritime security, Vietnam welcomed progresses that ASEANand China made in the process of building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea,called on parties concerned to seriously implement the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the East Sea, the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea,and the framework guidelines on preventing air military encounters recentlyadopted by the ADMM.
The Vietnamese side also expressed its readiness to share effectiveways to foster trust such as holding border exchanges with neighbouringcountries and border guards from China, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.
Thang said the events reflected Vietnam’s active andproactive involvement in dealing with common issues in the region, contributingto strengthening mutual trust and understanding among countries, for the sakeof peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Commenting on Minister Lich’s bilateral meetings withpartners to step up defence links, Thang said countries spoke highly of therole in and active contributions to regional common issues by Vietnam and theVietnam People’s Army in particular, affirming that they will back Vietnam inits position as ASEAN Chair 2020.-VNA
VNA
