What is the significance of the establishment of the ADMM-Plus and how will it change the way that ASEAN deals with common security issues?

The ADMM-Plus meeting today is a historic one. For the first time, ASEAN has got together the eight key partners in one meeting. And we were able to have a good discussion and exchange on issues of concern to us in the defence and security area. And this exchange was carried out in a very cordial, constructive and cooperative way. So even on sensitive issues, we were able to discuss in a cordial and constructive way. The focus of the meeting was very much on cooperation, building a community of cooperation based on a confluence of shared interest. And we focused also on the things that we could do together, so that we could go beyond just discussion and work on areas of cooperation.

How will ADMM-Plus foster better responses to evolving security developments in the ASEAN region?

We talked about traditional issues and also non-traditional issues in the security arena and we agreed that we would form Expert Working Groups to increase capacity among the ADMM-Plus countries in the following areas: maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter terrorism, peacekeeping operations and military medicine. All the countries expressed an interest in all these areas and felt that these areas were of significant importance to the ADMM-Plus countries.

What were some of the challenges that the ADMM-Plus will face and how can these be overcome?

I believe that with goodwill and cooperation, we will be able to overcome the challenges.

With the inclusion of many other "Plus" countries in the ADMM-Plus, some would argue that ASEAN wouldn't be able to keep the central role. What are your thoughts on this?

I was very gratified to hear that all the ADMM-Plus countries, all the partner countries, each one of them expressed their support for ASEAN continuing to play a central role in ADMM-Plus and of course in the other ASEAN forums as well. So I was very gratified to hear them express their support for this. So they see ASEAN as a reliable entity, to be able to bring together all these important countries, to work together with us.

What is your opinion about the host country of the first ADMM-Plus?I would like to congratulate Vietnam, in particular Minister Phung Quang Thanh, for doing an excellent job. There was a lot of complex coordination to be made, it is the first time such a meeting is being held, there are many of the "Plus" countries to be invited and to be kept informed of the meeting's agenda and to take into account the interest that they have, and the meeting was conducted very efficiently, very effectively. We achieved all our objectives and the meeting will set the stage and set the foundation for better cooperation between ASEAN and its key partners in the defence and security arena for the years to come.