Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich and a Vietnamese delegation attended the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) that opened in Manila, the capital of Philippines on October 23.

Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich

The two-day event focuses on current regional security challenges, including terrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts.

Addressing the opening, Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the country will propose some initiatives at the meeting, including a three-year working plan targeting rationalizing, coordinating and standardizing of ADMM’s efforts.

He said that this is a necessary step to speed up effective cooperation mechanisms. The meeting is expected to form framework mechanisms for maritime interaction and training exchange, he added.

Following the meeting, the fourth ADMM Plus will be held between ASEAN and eight dialogue partners of Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the US.

ADMM is the highest defence cooperation and consultation of ASEAN, aiming to foster mutual trust among participants through shared perspectives on defence and security challenges, while improving the transparency and openness among the ten ASEAN countries.

Meanwhile, the ADMM Plus provides a platform for ASEAN defence chiefs to dialogue with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

VNA