Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on the Implementation of the APSC Strategic Plan of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045

The Nineteenth ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (hereinafter referred to as “ADMM”), was convened on 31 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

REAFFIRMING our steadfast commitment to promoting peace, security and stability in the region, guided by the principles and shared values enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter, the ASEAN Charter, the Declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);

NOTING the significant milestones achieved under the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint 2025 and their role in advancing political-security cooperation across the region;

RECOGNISING the ADMM and the ADMM-Plus as the primary platforms for promoting dialogue and practical defence cooperation, enhancing regional security and strengthening the ASEAN-centred regional architecture;

COMMENDING the contribution of the defence sector to Community-building efforts, as acknowledged in the 2024 Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defence Ministers on the ADMM’s Accomplishments in the Implementation of the APSC Blueprint 2025;

APPLAUDING the 2023 Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus on Women, Peace and Security and the 2024 Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus on Resilience to Climate Related and Other Natural Disasters, including through Best Practices Exchange and Capacity-Building;

WELCOMING the A Future-Ready ADMM and ADMM-Plus: A Strategy Paper, which lays out the ADMM’s post-2025 strategy to be forward-looking, sustainable and nimble, and was developed in support of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the APSC Strategic Plan;

ACKNOWLEDGING the collective efforts of ASEAN Member States in furthering the APSC, which have promoted regional trust, resilience, and cooperation;

RECOGNISING the importance of further enhancing ASEAN’s institutional capacity and effectiveness to support the goals of ASEAN Community-building; and

WELCOMING the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its APSC Strategic Plan, adopted at the 46^th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

WE HEREBY COMMIT TO:

COMPLEMENT efforts across the Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural Pillars by leveraging technology, fostering innovation and adopting inclusive and people-centred approaches to build a resilient ASEAN that fulfils the aspirations of its people;

ENHANCE defence and security dialogues as well as practical cooperation with ADMM-Plus countries and external partners, while ensuring that ASEAN-led mechanisms remain the cornerstone of regional security architecture;

EXPLORE new forms of collaboration where the defence sector can make meaningful contributions, particularly in areas of niche expertise;

IMPLEMENT the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, with the defence sector playing a significant role in promoting and maintaining regional peace, stability and security;

ALIGN our defence sector initiatives with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the APSC Strategic Plan to ensure that ASEAN remains resilient, inclusive, dynamic and people-centred in addressing the evolving regional and global challenges; and

CONTRIBUTE effectively to the implementation of the APSC Strategic Plan by addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges, enhancing regional defence capabilities and ensuring ASEAN is well-prepared to respond to emerging security challenges.

ADOPTED in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the Thirty-First Day of October in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Five, in a single original copy in the English language.

More Resources

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ASEAN Defence Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Regional Peace and Adopt New Cooperation Initiatives at 19th ADMM