PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, 23 February 2012 - The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting-Plus Working Group (ADSOM-Plus WG) was held back-to-back with the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG) 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 briefed on the progress of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Groups (ADMM-Plus EWGs), by the current co-chairs of the EWGs, namely: EWG on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief by Vietnam and China; EWG on Maritime Security by Malaysia and Australia; EWG on Military Medicine by Singapore and Japan; EWG on Counter-Terrorism by Indonesia and the US; and EWG on Peacekeeping Operations by the Philippines and New Zealand.
During the Meeting, the Cambodian Chair updated the discussion on the draft Concept Paper on Review of Frequency of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, which recommends that the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) shall meet once every two (2) years, to the ‘Plus’ countries.
Brunei Darussalam also briefed the Meeting on the preparations of the 2nd ADMM-Plus in 2013.
The Meeting also discussed the necessary preparations for the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting-Plus (ADSOM-Plus) to be held on 26 – 27 April 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.