The first Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) got under way in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on Tuesday.
Defense chiefs or representatives from ten Southeast Asian countries and eight dialogue partners, including China and the United States, are attending the one-day conclave.
In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the meeting marked a new development phase of ASEAN's defense cooperation.
The meeting, entitled "Strategic Cooperation for Peace, Stability and Development in the Region," would be an important forum for participants to build mutual trust and co-operation, contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world, he said.
The Vietnamese leader, whose country holds the current chairmanship of the ASEAN, said besides reaffirming the open nature of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' meeting, it also helps promote defense dialogue and cooperation between ASEAN and its dialogue partners.
The first ADMM-Plus also reflects ASEAN's resolve to create favorable conditions for partners to contribute in tackling common threats for peace, stability and development in the region, he said.
Urging countries in the region to cooperate to deal with challenges such as terrorism, natural disaster and maritime security, Nguyen said he expected the Defense Ministers to have fruitful and constructive dialogue on security issues and come up with a strategy for future cooperation to cope with emerging challenges.
Delegates are expected to hold discussions on five prioritized cooperation areas including humanitarian aid and disaster relief, military medicine, maritime security, counter-terrorism and peace-keeping operations. A joint declaration is also expected on the conclusion of the meeting.
The ASEAN bloc is represented by Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, while their eight dialogue partners include India, Australia, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.
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