This is the second time that the Vietnam People’s Navy has hosted an ANCM and this is the first time in two decades that an ANCM has been organized in an online form.
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Rear Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem (first from left), Chief of the Navy of Vietnam, chairs the meeting. |
The meeting saw the attendance of navy chiefs of ASEAN member states and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Armed Forces.
Addressing the meeting themed “Naval cooperation for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN,” Rear Admiral Nghiem emphasized that during its two decades of development, the ANCM has become a very important annual forum on naval cooperation in the region. Actually, the ANCM has started a number of practical initiatives and programs in order to boost cooperation among ASEAN navies. It is also one of the leading vital factors that contribute to maintaining a regional maritime environment of peace, security, stability and making active contributions to building the ASEAN Political-Security Community.
Delegates highly valued the great efforts of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and Vietnam People’s Navy in organizing this virtual meeting amidst the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They spoke highly of the meeting’s theme, saying that it showcases the consolidation of the unity bloc, enhancement of mutual understanding and trust as well as collaboration and coordination among regional navies while improving the adaptability of ASEAN navies to rapid changes in the region and the world and making the best of opportunities to effectively deal with challenges.
At the meeting, future activities and initiatives launched by ASEAN navies were also discussed. The participants showed high support and appreciation on the Vietnam People’s Navy-launched initiative on sharing naval training experience.
The delegates welcomed the Royal Brunei Navy to host the ANCM-15 in 2021, and agreed on the Philippine Navy’s hosting of the second ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX-2) in 2023 and the Malaysian Navy’s hosting of AMNEX-3 in 2025.
They were also updated on the regional maritime security situations by the head of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Information Fusion Center (IFC).
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Participants to the virtual meeting. (Screen captured) |
“In the context that the COVID-19 continues to develop complicatedly and badly affect Vietnam and other countries in the region, the success of ANCM-14 with the active engagement of ASEAN navies once again strongly confirms the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation to maintain a peaceful and stable regional maritime environment, which was made at the opening ceremony of the 36th ASEAN Summit, said Rear Admiral Nghiem in his closing remarks.
Nghiem also cited the Vietnamese Prime Minister as saying that the common denominator of shared interest, which has brought the ASEAN members together over the last five decades, has multiplied in the wake of adversity and challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is a test of ASEAN's mettle as a maturing community.
Translated by Mai Huong