ASEAN Defense Ministers issue joint statement on cooperation to fight Covid-19 outbreak
(VOVWORLD) - The ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Retreat (ADMM Retreat) convened its plenary session in Hanoi on Wednesday, opening activities held by the Vietnamese Defense Ministry during Vietnam’s chairmanship of ASEAN.
 Minister of Defense General Ngo Xuan Lich (C) chairs the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Retreat. |
Vietnamese Minister of Defense General Ngo Xuan Lich told the meeting: "This is the 1st high-level meeting of 2020. The event is of great importance in shaping cooperation for 2020 and preparing for meetings of the ADMM and ADMM Plus later this year. Delegates directly exchanged opinions on security challenges facing ASEAN and the world. We also reviewed the cooperative mechanisms of ADMM and ADMM Plus meetings and discussed cooperation orientations."
According to the delegates, the regional bloc is currently facing numerous challenges, including the competition of major countries in the region, and maritime security challenges, such as the East Sea issue, and the emergence of non-traditional security challenges.
In the context of the Covid-19 epidemic that has posed a common challenge to both the region and the world, Vietnam, as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the ASEAN Military Medical Center in 2020, proposed member countries launch drills to cope with the spread of the epidemic in 2020, said Minister Lich.
The ASEAN Defense Ministers issued a joint statement on defense cooperation against the Covid-19 outbreak, reiterating enhanced cooperation and solidarity in policies, strategies, and programs to deal with diseases in ASEAN.