PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, 21 – 22 February 2012 - The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG) was held today at the Sunway Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Brunei Darussalam was represented by Haji Adi Ihram Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Acting Director of Defence Policy, Directorate of Defence Policy, Ministry of Defence.
The Meeting was chaired by Major General Lay Chenda, Director, Department of ASEAN Affairs, General Department of Policy and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defence, Kingdom of Cambodia.
The Meeting discussed and considered the draft Concept Paper on Review of Frequency of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. This Concept Paper recommends that the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) shall meet once every two (2) years, and will commence following the 2nd ADMM-Plus in Brunei Darussalam in 2013.
Noting that a two-year cycle would rotate the ADMM-Plus Chairmanship amongst only five (5) ASEAN Member States, i.e. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) could consider the appropriate modality before the second cycle (starting 2021) for the ADMM-Plus Chairmanship to be rotated to the other ASEAN Member States that did not chair the ADMM-Plus between 2013 and 2019. The Concept Paper will be discussed and considered further at the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) to be held on 25 – 26 April 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The Meeting also discussed initiatives relating to the ASEAN Defence Establishments and Civil Society Organizations Cooperation on Non-Traditional Security; ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration; and ASEAN Peacekeeping Centres Network.
The Meeting will continue tomorrow to discuss the necessary preparations for the ADSOM and the ADSOM-Plus in April 2012. Brunei Darussalam is also expected to brief the Meeting on the preparations of the 2nd ADMM-Plus in 2013.
Before the Meeting, the ADSOM WG Leaders and the ASEAN Secretariat Leader had a Courtesy Call to Lieutenant General Nem Sowath, Director General of Policy and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defence, Kingdom of Cambodia.