In his opening remarks, the chair said that the full participation of ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat in the virtual ADSOM demonstrated their commitment to maintaining ASEAN unity. On this occasion, he also extended condolences over the losses caused by the earthquake disaster in Indonesia and flooding in Viet Nam.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Truong Thang attends the online meeting. |
Ignacio B. Madriaga emphasized that the theme of the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2026, “Navigating Our Future, Together” reflects a strong belief that ASEAN’s strength lies in its unity. Amidst challenges facing the world today, he stressed, ASEAN must remain united and self-reliant.
According to the Philippines’ Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning, 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of ASEAN defense cooperation within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), demonstrating that unity in diversity and making the most of that diversity constitute ASEAN’s strongest shield.
Emphasizing that the virtual ADSOM was held at a timely moment to review ASEAN defense cooperation over the past 20 years and look ahead to the years to come, Ignacio B. Madriaga expressed his hope for productive discussions at the meeting.
At the meeting, Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Truong Thang expressed his belief that, under the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, ASEAN defense cooperation would continue to be strengthened to respond flexibly and pro-actively to security challenges facing the region, contributing to peace, security, resilience, and prosperity. He affirmed that Viet Nam would provide the utmost support to help the Philippines successfully fulfill its responsibilities as Chair of the ADMM and ADMM+ in 2026.
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The Vietnamese delegation at the event |
Within the framework of the virtual ADSOM, the head delegates heard reports on the outcomes of the ASEAN Defense Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG), updates on the implementation of the ADMM Work Plan for the 2023-2026 period, the outcomes of the Annual Conference and the Track II Network of ASEAN Defense and Security Institutions (NADI), and the 23rd ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting (ACDFM-23). They also considered new initiatives within the ADMM, draft joint declarations, and cooperation with dialogue partners. The meeting further provided comments on preparations for the ASEAN Defense Senior Officials’ Meeting Plus (ADSOM+), the 20th ADMM, and the 13th ADMM+.
Translated by Tran Hoai