Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence, made the announcement at a press briefing held in Hanoi on July 29 immediately after a ceremony to send invitations to ASEAN and its dialogue partners Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM+) to the ministers via their ambassadors. 

In preparation for the ADMM+, Vietnam will hold the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Retreat (ADSOM Retreat) from August 4-6 in Ho Chi Minh City and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat (ADMM Retreat) on October 11 in Hanoi in order to reach a consensus in ASEAN on the organisation as well as the agenda of ADMM+. 

As the host country, Vietnam will consult the dialogue partners about the meeting preparations including the organisation and agenda. 

The first ADMM+, themed “Potentials, Prospects and Directions for Practical Cooperation within ADMM+”, will create a foundation for cooperation among countries participating the meeting. 

This is a chance for the defence ministers to discuss and share the opinions of each country as well as identify potential and directions for cooperation within ADMM+ in the years to come, Vinh said. 

The meeting agenda is expected to include an assessment on the regional security and discussion on potential, prospects and directions for practical cooperation within ADMM+.