A historic move
In order to build and consolidate a peaceful, stable and development environment in Southeast Asia, all ASEAN member countries perceived that one country alone could not resolve all regional security challenges, particularly non-traditional ones. They also learnt that such security issues required the joint efforts of all ASEAN countries and some needed cooperation and support from non-member countries. That common perception hinted at the expansion of ASEAN defense and security cooperation with non-member countries, particularly regional powers.
ADMM+ came into being in that context. The first ADMM+ was held in Hanoi when Vietnam assumed the ASEAN Chair in 2010. It included the 10 ASEAN member countries and 8 non-member countries, namely Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Russia, the Republic of Korea and the U.S.
It can be said that the debut of ADMM+ marked a historic move forward in regional defense and security cooperation. As the ASEAN-led regional defense and security meeting draws the participation of defense ministers of the ASEAN member countries and 8 partners, including such major powers as China, Russia and the U.S., major regional defense and security issues can be addressed more effectively and efficiently, and more opportunities are created for multilateral and bilateral defense, security cooperation activities.
So far, ADMM+ has been the highest level mechanism of defense and security cooperation between ASEAN and its partners. It also serves as the most important security structure in the region, which supports other regional defense and security forums. Via ADMM+, ASEAN can mobilize outside resources and support for ADMM’s 7 cooperation fields, namely anti-terrorism, military medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, humanitarian mine action program, peacekeeping operations and cyber security.
Regarding the role of ADMM+, Thai Defense Attaché to Vietnam Colonel Damrong Simakajornboon said, ADMM+ has helped consolidate trust among countries via dialogues and transparency, supported ASEAN member countries in improving their capabilities to respond to common challenges, and promoted regional peace and stability via regional defense and security cooperation in dealing with regional security challenges.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary for Policy and Intelligence at the Australian Defense Department Peter Tescht said, ADMM+ has helped join regional countries in addressing both common challenges and striving for common benefits.
Vietnam realizes regional idea of the establishment of ADMM+
Vietnam was one of the ASEAN countries that strongly supported the idea of the establishment of ADMM+. Before the first ADMM+ in 2010, ASEAN countries had previously discussed the idea of a regional security structure with the participation of all ASEAN member countries and partners for a peaceful and stable region.
Regarding the role of Vietnam in establishing ADMM+, Professor Carlyle Thayer at New South Wales University affirmed that Vietnam made great efforts to realize the idea of establishing ADMM+ and later successfully held the first ADMM+.”
The idea to establish a regional security structure with the participation of big powers was first put forth at the first ADMM in Malaysia in 2006. The idea was again discussed at the following ADMMs. When Vietnam assumed the ASEAN Chair in 2010, the country pushed up the adoption of the Paper “ADMM Plus: Modalities and Procedures” co-drafted by Vietnam and Singapore and Paper “ADMM Plus: Configuration and Composition” co-drafted by Singapore and Thailand as well as other legal bases for the establishment of ADMM+.
At the fourth ADMM in Hanoi, all delegates entrusted Vietnam to hold the first ADMM+, and the country successfully organized the event. The first ADMM+ adopted five cooperation fields, namely humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, military medicine, anti-terrorism and peacekeeping operations.
The second ADMM+ in Brunei in 2013 adopted the sixth cooperation field --humanitarian mine action program, proposed by Vietnam.
In 2013, Vietnam sent its military force to participate in a multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in Brunei.
Since then, Vietnam has participated in all multilateral activities and exercises within the framework of ADMM+.
Translated by Thu Nguyen