BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Thursday 29 Aug 2013 – The 2nd ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus concluded today at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall, Empire Hotel and Country Club, Brunei Darussalam.
The Ministers re-emphasised their commitment to strengthen defence cooperation in promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region based on the enduring principles of equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit and respect for international law.
In doing so, the Ministers agreed to promote capacity-building through greater engagements and interactions, enhance interoperability through training and joint exercises, and establish mechanisms for effective response. The Ministers also agreed to establish practical measures that reduce vulnerability to miscalculations, and avoid misunderstanding and undesirable incidents at sea.
The Ministers reviewed and expressed satisfaction on the substantial achievements of the five Experts’ Working Groups, which have successfully forged practical cooperation among the defence forces of the ADMM-Plus countries. This is evident with the inaugural ADMM-Plus Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise held in Brunei Darussalam on 17-20 June 2013.
The Ministers also agreed on the establishment of the Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Action and Transition Process of the EWGs’ Co-Chairmanship.
After the meeting, the Ministers signed the Bandar Seri Begawan Joint Declaration of the 2nd ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. A handing over ceremony of the ADMM Chairmanship from Brunei Darussalam to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar was also held today.
