ASEAN steps up defence ties in health security
Major General Vu Cuong Quyet, Director of the Ministry of National Defence’s Institute for Defence Strategy, on August 17 attended the opening session of a virtual conference of the Track II Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions (NADI).
Focusing on strengthening ASEAN’s defence cooperation in health security, the three-day event is held by the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ Centre for Strategic Studies.
Delegates are discussing defence and security challenges caused by health security issues, particularly the impact of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. They are also expected to chalk out ways to step up the regional partnership in military medicine to respond to public health emergency situations and potential challenges caused by diseases in the future.
In his remarks, Major General Quyet highly valued the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ Centre for Strategic Studies for hosting the conference. He hoped that with an open atmosphere, honesty, trust and mutual understanding, participants will voice opinions to help bolster defence cooperation among ASEAN member states in health security at large and COVID-19 response in particular.
