ASEAN, partners seek to expand defence cooperation
(VOVWORLD) -The Vietnamese Defence Minister attended all the informal meetings between ASEAN defence ministers and their counterparts from China, Japan, and the US on Sunday, in the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat (ADMM Retreat) in Bangkok, Thailand.
 (Photo: VNA) |
Japanese Defence Minister Taro Kono affirmed that Japan supports the role played by ASEAN in regional cooperation mechanisms.
Japan pledges to help ASEAN improve its capacity in technology, he said, adding that his country will continue to expand cooperation under the “Vientiane Vision”.
ASEAN defence ministers said they hope Japan will continue to support peace, stability and security in the region.
Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said China valued cooperation with ASEAN and defence ties between the two sides are growing. The ASEAN defence ministers hailed positive results of the negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
In the informal meeting with the US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, ASEAN’s defence ministers applauded the US’s active participation in ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms, especially the ADMM. Esper reaffirmed the US’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, on the basis of respect for international law and the independence and sovereignty of all countries.