Opening Remarks by Permanent Secretary (Defence) Mr Chiang Chie Foo at the 2nd ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group On Military Medicine Table-Top Exercise, Tokyo

Good morning, Vice Minister of Defense Kanazawa, colleagues and friends. It is with great pleasure that I have this opportunity to co-officiate at the opening of the 2nd Experts' Working Group on Military Medicine (EWG-MM) Meeting in Tokyo today with Vice Minister of Defense Kanazawa.

Singapore is honoured to have this opportunity to co-chair the EWG on Military Medicine with Japan. I am pleased that there had been good progress on the EWG on Military Medicine since we last met at the inaugural meeting inSi ngapore in July last year.

EWG-MM TTX

A key highlight of the 2nd EWG on Military Medicine Meeting this year is the conduct of a scenario-based Table-Top Exercise (TTX) on medical support for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. The two co-chair, Dr Chieko Ikeda and COL (Dr) Kang Wee Lee, together with their staff, have worked closely together to construct a realistic exercise narrative and a meaningful operational design for the TTX.

With the conduct of the TTX, the EWG on Military Medicine has attained another milestone in forging closer cooperation amongst the military medical practitioners amongst the ADMM-Plus countries. In particular, the TTX represents another step forward for the EWG-MM to move from dialogue towards joint exercises. The conduct of a TTX this year also underscores the EWG on Military Medicine as a useful platform for the 18 military medical services of the ADMM-Plus countries to share experiences and forge practical cooperation in the area of medical support operations, particularly in HADR. Over time, we hope that the interoperability of the military medical services in real time HADR operations can be enhanced through such interactions.

Developments of the ADMM-Plus

The positive progress of the EWG on Military Medicine should also be seen in the light of the overall development of the ADMM-Plus and the other four Experts Working Groups.

Since its establishment in October 2010, the ADMM-Plus has made remarkable progress. At the strategic level, the ADMM-Plus offers a platform for our Ministers and Senior Officials to come together for discussion on pertinent regional security issues of concern. Over time, this will lead to an alignment of views on how we can collectively address the security challenges that we all confront. In this regard, the recent decision taken by the 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in May 2012 recently to shorten the interval of ADMM-Plus meetings from once in three to once in two years is an important one. The increased in frequency of meetings will strengthen the framework and mechanism of facilitating strategic discussion and conversation between the Defence Ministers at the ADMM-Plus.

Practical cooperation through the five Experts' Working Groups (EWGs) is also advancing well. The EWGs are increasingly becoming the key pillars of the ADMM-Plus. The EWGs provide valuable platforms for our armed forces to work together to address the pertinent security challenges of mutual concern affecting the region. All five EWGs have collectively demonstrated a strong appetite to move into practical cooperation in the form of exercises involving their militaries in realistic scenarios. This concerted progression towards practical activities lays the foundation to what militaries can do together in a constructive and meaningful manner to enhance the peace and security of the region.

Indeed, the ADMM-Plus will take practical cooperation to the next level with the inaugural ADMM-Plus HADR/Military Medicine (MM) Exercise that Brunei is hosting in 2013 when Brunei is the Chair of the ADMM-Plus. The ADMM-Plus HADR/MM Exercise, which hopes to bring together all 18 militaries of the ADMMPlus countries, will build on the ASEAN experiences of the inaugural ASEAN Militaries' HADR Exercise that was conducted by Singapore and Indonesia in 2011, as well as the successes of the ADMM-Plus EWGs by combining elements of both the EWG on Military Medicine and the EWG on HADR. I believe that the successful conduct of the exercise will underscore the importance of the ADMM-Plus as a forum for relevant and practical cooperation.

These positive developments of the ADMM-Plus embody the cooperative ethos of the military. By focusing on strategic dialogues and practical cooperation, the ADMM-Plus aims to better promote trust and mutual understanding, and enhance confidence-building between defence establishments. Going forward, this bodes well for the ADMM-Plus in becoming a more useful and effective security platform in contributing to the regional peace and stability.

Conclusion

Singapore is committed to working closely with Japan and the other ADMMPlus members on the EWG on Military Medicine, including our contribution towards the ADMM-Plus HADR/Military Medicine exercise in Brunei next year. Through this, we hope to contribute towards the success of the ADMM-Plus as a platform that facilitates dialogue and practical cooperation amongst the member states. I have confidence that we can count on all of you to continue your strong support and active participation in the ADMM-Plus which will serve to further enhance peace and stability of the region.

I wish all participants a successful and meaningful meeting and TTX over the next few days.

Thank you.

More Resources

Singapore and Japan Co-chairs the 2nd Experts' Working Group on Military Medicine Meeting