PHUKET, THAILAND, Friday, 1 March 2019 – Defence officials from all ASEAN Member States and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat attended the first of the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG) that concluded yesterday in Phuket, Thailand. The ADSOM WG meeting kicks off Thailand’s chairmanship of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and its related meetings for this year. The conclusion of the ADSOM WG led in to the convening of the ADSOM-Plus WG today which includes the Plus Countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, and United States).
Both meetings were chaired by General Raksak Rojphimphun, Director-General of the Office of Policy and Planning, Ministry of Defence of Thailand in his capacity as the ADSOM WG and ADSOM-Plus WG Leader of Thailand.
Representing the Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam was Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Director of Defence Policy as the ADSOM WG and ADSOM-Plus WG Leader of Brunei Darussalam.
During the ADSOM WG meeting, among the main agenda items covered were the progress of existing defence cooperation which include but not limited to, ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure, ASEAN Militaries Ready Group, and ASEAN Center of Military Medicine. The meeting also discussed on a number of new initiatives for ASEAN defence cooperation and featured discussions on refining cooperative approaches with the Plus Countries.
Today at the ADSOM-Plus WG, the meeting will update on the latest progress and planned activities of the seven areas of cooperation under the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group, which are Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief; Maritime Security; Counter-Terrorism; Peacekeeping Operations; Military Medicine; Humanitarian Mine Action; and Cyber Security.
The Head of Delegation also held several bilateral calls on the sidelines of the meetings.
The ADSOM WG and ADSOM-Plus WG act as a prelude to the upcoming ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) and ADSOM-Plus which will be hosted in Hua Hin, Thailand from 2 – 5 April 2019.
MESYUARAT-MESYUARAT ADSOM WG DAN ADSOM-PLUS WG DI THAILAND
PHUKET, THAILAND, Jumaat, 1 Mac 2019 – Pegawai-pegawai pertahanan dari semua negara-negara ASEAN dan wakil-wakil dari Sekretariat ASEAN telah menghadiri Mesyuarat pertama Kumpulan Kerja Pegawai-Pegawai Kanan Pertahanan ASEAN (ADSOM WG) yang berakhir kelmarin di Phuket, Thailand. Mesyuarat ADSOM WG ini adalah pemangkin bagi Mesyuarat Menteri-Menteri Pertahanan ASEAN (ADMM) dan mesyuarat yang berkaitan untuk dipengerusikan oleh Kerajaan Thailand bagi tahun ini. Kesimpulan mesyuarat ADSOM WG disambungkan dengan anjuran mesyuarat ADSOM-Plus WG yang merangkumi negara-negara Plus iaitu Australia, Republik Rakyat China, India, Jepun, New Zealand, Republik Korea, Rusia dan Amerika Syarikat.
Kedua Mesyuarat ADSOM WG dan ADSOM-Plus WG tersebut dipengerusikan oleh Jeneral Raksak Rojphimphun, Director-General of the Office of Policy and Planning, Kementerian Pertahanan Thailand selaku Ketua ADSOM WG dan ADSOM-Plus WG bagi Kerajaan Thailand.
Mewakili Kementerian Pertahanan Negara Brunei Darussalam ialah Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Pengarah Dasar Pertahanan selaku Ketua ADSOM WG dan ADSOM-Plus WG Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Pelbagai isu-isu kepentingan bersama telah dibincangkan seperti perkembangan terkini kerjasama ASEAN yang sedia ada termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure, ASEAN Militaries Ready Group dan ASEAN Centre of Military Medicine. Mesyuarat itu juga membincangkan mengenai dengan inisiatif-inisiatif kerjasama pertahanan ASEAN baru dan juga bagi memajukan kerjasama pertahanan dengan negara-negara Plus.
Pada hari ini dalam mesyuarat ADSOM-Plus WG, mesyuarat tersebut akan memaklumkan perkembangan-perkembangan baru yang akan datang bagi tujuh bidang utama ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group, iaitu Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief; Maritime Security; Counter-Terrorism; Peace Keeping Operations; Military Medicine; Humanitarian Mine Action; dan Cyber Security.
Ketua delegasi Negara Brunei Darussalam juga mengadakan beberapa mesyuarat-mesyuarat dua hala di samping kedua-dua mesyuarat WG.
ADSOM WG dan ADSOM-Plus WG diadakan sebelum mesyuarat ADSOM dan ADSOM-Plus yang akan dianjurkan di Hua Hin, Kerajaan Thailand dari 2 hingga 5 April 2019.