Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen attended the 7th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus and the ADMM Informal Meeting with Japan today. The meetings were held virtually via video conferencing.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of ADMM-Plus^[1]. Over the last decade, the ADMM-Plus has successfully facilitated open and constructive dialogue on regional security issues and developed practical cooperation in domains such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

During the meeting, the ADMM-Plus Defence Ministers exchanged views on the regional and international security environment and agreed that deeper collaboration between the countries was important in addressing the complex challenges of the security landscape. The Defence Ministers also adopted a Joint Declaration on the Strategic Security Vision of the ADMM-Plus. The Joint Declaration reaffirmed ADMM-Plus countries' shared commitment to regional peace and stability in view of ongoing security challenges.

Delivering his remarks at the 7th ADMM-Plus, Dr Ng highlighted the importance of the multilateral platform in promoting regional peace and stability through dialogue and practical cooperation. He said, "The ADMM-Plus with its 18 members stretches from India in the Indian Ocean on one end, to the Western Pacific seaboard of the US on the other, and with ASEAN in the middle. Its combined militaries account for 90% of global soldiers… The trajectory of world affairs are shaped by our behaviours, norms and decisions, in this forum, and in this region. It is incumbent upon us, knowing the weight and dependency on our shoulders to get it right. And integral to that outcome for the ADMM-Plus, dialogue between leaders and participation of our militaries are key tools to shape understanding and eventually trust. We can take some comfort in the many positive initiatives through the Experts' Working Groups in seven key domains^[2], including more than 20 large-scale exercises... The real and present threats of terrorism, climate change, biological pandemics, piracy and maritime stability need our collective efforts to deal with them effectively."

At the ASEAN-Japan Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting, the ASEAN Defence Ministers welcomed Japan's Minister of Defense Nobuo Kishi to the ADMM-Plus and expressed their appreciation for Japan's continued engagement of the region and commitment to the ADMM-Plus. The Ministers exchanged views on enhancing bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation and promoting regional security and stability.

Speaking after the successful conduct of the ADMM, ADMM-Plus and ADMM Informal Meetings with China, Japan, and the United States over the past two days, Dr Ng said, "There were two Joint Declarations; one by the ADMM Ministers and one by the ADMM-Plus. And that itself signals commitment to address current problems as well as to resolve to deal with our futures together. And it was significant that both Joint Declarations talked about the basis for dealing with the present challenges as well as our future. And that would be consistency with the rule of law, peaceful settlement of disputes, and in particular for the South China Sea. But also, the second aspect is that we would redouble our efforts in military engagements, including through the Experts' Working Groups."

The ADMM and ADMM-Plus are key platforms in the regional security architecture to facilitate open and constructive dialogue on regional security issues. Both platforms have contributed to regional peace and stability, through fostering trust and sustained cooperation among all 18 countries.

^[1] ADMM-Plus was inaugurated on 12 October 2010 and started as a biennial meeting. Since 2017, the ADMM-Plus has become an annual meeting.

^[2] The seven domains are (i) maritime security; (ii) humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; (iii) counter-terrorism; (iv) military medicine; (v) peacekeeping operations; (vi) humanitarian mine action; and (vii) cyber security.