By Prashanth Parameswaran
Beyond the non-adoption of a joint statement, a look at what was discussed at the ADMM-Plus meeting in Malaysia.
As I reported for The Diplomat earlier this week, the focus of the recent ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Malaysia was the grouping’s failure to adopt a joint statement due to disagreements on the South China Sea (See: “China Blocked ASEAN Defense Meeting Pact Amid South China Sea Fears: US Official”).
But what did the ADMM-Plus – which groups the ten Southeast Asian countries along with the United States, China, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Russia – actually accomplish?
Before diving in, it is important to note that the ADDM-Plus is a newer, expanded version of the ADMM, which takes place between the ten ASEAN countries themselves and is held annually. The inaugural ADMM-Plus was held in Vietnam back in 2010, and the ADMM-Plus is held biannually.
As I noted in a separate piece, this year’s ADMM produced a number of interesting developments worth noting before looking at the accomplishments of the ADMM-Plus. Most notably, at their annual retreat, ASEAN states moved towards setting up a hotline to help them communicate quickly and securely in a crisis situation (See: “ASEAN Sets Up New Hotline Amid South China Sea Tensions”). According to Malaysia’s defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein, the host of this year’s ASEAN-related summitry since Malaysia holds the rotating ASEAN chair for 2015, Southeast Asian nations also discussed regional and global security issues like terrorism, cyber security and maritime security.
The 3rd ADMM-Plus, themed “ASEAN-Maintaining Regional Security and Stability For and by the People,” saw the 18 countries take stock of ongoing defense cooperation and discuss relevant issues.
Read the full story at The Diplomat