A high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of Vietnam, led by Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang, attended the event.
The meeting was an opportunity for the countries to discuss issues of mutual concern as well as measures to further beef up defense cooperation relations between ASEAN and the U.S.
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General Phan Van Giang at the meeting |
In his speech, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin underlined that Washington attaches importance to the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) as a major cooperation mechanism of regional security. He expressed the U.S.’s desire to further promote practical and effective defense collaboration with ASEAN for the sake of regional peace and security.
At the event, ASEAN defense ministers held that the region is facing an array of traditional and non-traditional security challenges. Thus, with the principle of respecting ASEAN’s central role, they underlined ASEAN’s readiness to collaborate with the U.S. and other partners to navigate through these challenges.
Addressing the meeting, General Giang affirmed the increasingly substantive and effective defense cooperation between ASEAN and the U.S. He noted that the U.S. has regularly proposed holding informal meetings with ASEAN defense ministers, actively joined seven ADMM+ Experts’ Working Groups, and pro-actively initiated efforts to enhance cooperation and build capacity for ASEAN member states.
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An overview of the meeting |
General Giang stressed that the Vietnamese MND highly values the effectiveness and practicality of the U.S.-proposed activities, which are crucial for regional peace, security and self-resilience, as well as the common development of ASEAN member countries.
At the same time, as the fifth cycle of the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Groups is underway, the Vietnamese Defense Minister reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to promoting dialogue, building trust, and making substantive contribution to maintaining regional peace and stability. According to General Giang, this effort includes consolidating cooperation in the seven areas of ADMM+ Experts’ Working Groups outlined in the 2022 ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022.
General Giang believed that the U.S. and Indonesia would successfully co-chair the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group on Military Medicine in this cycle. He also reiterated Vietnam’s support for and active involvement in U.S.-ASEAN cooperation activities, particularly within the ADMM+ framework.
Translated by Minh Anh