Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Zaqy Mohamad was the Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony of the 23rd General Assembly and was joined by Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, as well as delegates, observers, and guests from the Veterans’ Associations of ASEAN countries.

During his speech, Mr Zaqy recognised and expressed appreciation for the contributions and efforts of veterans and veterans’ associations towards fostering peace and security within the region. He said, “Beyond their home countries, veterans can build bridges, just as all of you are doing here, and forge peace as best as we can, as we link, share our experiences, share our knowledge, share together our hope for peace and security in the region.” He also underscored the significance of VECONAC’s mission and reiterated that “All countries owe a debt to their veterans, who fought for her sovereignty…I am glad therefore that one of VECONAC's main missions is to take care of and ensure the well-being of their veterans.”

In his welcome address, President of SAFVL and VECONAC 2024, Brigadier-General (Ret) Winston Toh emphasised on the three pillars of this year’s General Assembly – to harness innovation, foster collaboration, and drive smart progress for a stronger, safer, and better ASEAN community. He also reiterated the significance of VECONAC’s mission and marked the occasion as a testament to the unwavering spirit of our veterans.

Established on 19 Dec 1980, VECONAC is a regional organisation promoting cooperation and mutual support among ASEAN veterans' associations from the ten ASEAN member states. SAFVL was admitted as a regular member of VECONAC on 15 February 2008 and last hosted the 12th VECONAC General Assembly that year.