Vietnam affirms commitment to defence cooperation in ASEAN
Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien has affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to responsibly engage in cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM Plus.
Chien made the statement said at the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials' Meeting-Plus (ADSOM-Plus), which convened virtually on April 8.
Under the chair of Permanent Secretary of the Brunei Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General (retired) Dato Seri Pahlawan Shahril Anwar Bin Haji Ma’awiah, the meeting gathered ASEAN member states and partner nations – Russia, China, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
In his opening speech, the Brunei official said in response to the COVID-19-inflicted crisis, ASEAN realises that there is a need for the coordination of actions not only within the region but also with bloc partners.
Lauding member nations’ commitments and efforts as well as partner nations’ assistance toward boosting practical cooperation within the ADMM Plus framework, he stressed that it is important to fortify defence ties to build an area of peace and safety where the people’s wellbeing and happiness are prioritised.
Hoang Xuan Chien, on behalf of Vietnam, shared participants’ concern over regional and global security affairs, including traditional and non-traditional challenges, international cooperation amid COVID-19, and maritime security.
Highlighting Vietnam’s support for Brunei’s 2021 ASEAN chairmanship, he took the occasion to inform the meeting on multilateral activities that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence has planned to host this year.
At the meeting, participating nations discussed the draft ADMM Plus joint statement and agreed upon the preparations for the upcoming 8th ADMM Plus, which is slated for June 16.
Concluding the event, Brunei updated the schedule of activities held within the ADMM framework in 2021.
