More and more ASEAN’s friends and dialogue partners have expressed their desire to contribute to the region's security promotion efforts through cooperation mechanisms in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

At the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) 

The seventh ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) is due to take place via an online platform in Hanoi on December 10.

Initially established in 2006, the ADMM marked the beginning of a formal defence cooperation mechanism within ASEAN, becoming an important element in the political-security pillar of the regional bloc.

This mechanism provides a framework for dialogue and consultation at the defence ministerial level in terms of strategic, defence and security issues and lays the foundation for bolstering practical cooperation among the militaries of ASEAN member states.

Amid the Asia-Pacific region continuing to act as the world political-economic hub, challenges posed to this region are also those of ASEAN. In addition to ADMM, ASEAN needs a more open security structure.

On that basis,  ASEAN Defence Ministers, in 2010 in Hanoi,  agreed to set up the ADMM + between ASEAN member states and 8 partner and dialogue countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.

This is ASEAN's historic milestone with the establishment of a security and defence cooperation mechanism for promoting peace, stability and development of the region through dialogue, as well as substantive defence and security cooperation activities, and building capacity to respond to common challenges in the region.

ADMM and ADMM + have a close relationship, in which ADMM plays a central and oriented role. Currently, practical cooperation in ADMM+ is carried out through 7 expert groups, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; marine security; military; counter terrorism; peacekeeping; and act for humanitarianism and cybersecurity.

The joint statement after the ADMM-14 held on December 9, recognized the importance of ADMM+ as the highest defence-security ministerial-level advisory mechanism for ASEAN member states and other nations, aiming to augment substantive cooperation mechanisms through ADMM + Expert Groups. It also acknowledged ASEAN's friends and dialogue partners' wish to make contributions to regional security and stability.

The joint statement by  the ASEAN Defence Ministers also welcomed the 10th anniversary of ADMM+, marking the achievements of ADMM+ as a ASEAN-led defence cooperation mechanism, which demonstrates ADMM+’s continued commitment to regional peace and stability for the next decade.