The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) convened in Kuala Lumpur on February 12 in preparation for the ADSOM-Plus, ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), and ADMM-Plus to be hosted by Malaysia, Chair of ASEAN, this year.

Vietnamese delegation, led by Head of the Institute for Defence International Relations Major General Vu Tien Trong, attended the meeting, Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper, reported.

During the event, the Chairman of the ADSOM Working Group presented the results of a conference held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on January 22 – 23.

It was followed by reports on the meeting of the Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutions (NADI) and the establishment of the Defence Interaction Programme and the Logistics Support Framework.

Progress of defence cooperation within ASEAN was also reviewed in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR); non-traditional security with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); the defence industry; the forming of an ASEAN Peacekeeping Centres Network; and a direct communication link in the ADMM process.

Participants discussed new initiatives for the ADMM and ADMM-Plus, including Malaysia’s concept paper for an ASEAN military action team as well as Thailand’s proposal to set up the ASEAN Military Medicine Coordination Centre.

The conference also examined and discussed agendas and documents in preparation for the ADMM in Langkawi this March.-VNA