The upcoming ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting plus (ADMM+) aims toincrease high-level dialogue to carry out practical cooperation insecurity and defence, contributing to building a region of peace andstability, said a Vietnamese senior defence officer.

At a pressbriefing on October 7, Deputy Defence Minister Lieut-Gen. Nguyen ChiVinh stressed the purpose of ADMM+, scheduled from October 10-13 inHanoi for the first time under Vietnam ’s initiative.

Inaddition to defence ministers and senior officers from 10 ASEAN membercountries, ADMM+ gathers defence ministers and officials from eightdialogue partner countries – China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India,New Zealand, Australia, Russia and the United States, according to theorganiser.

Lieut-Gen. Vinh noted the difference between ADMM+ andother regional dialogue and security-defence cooperation mechanisms,saying that participating members will discuss issues of common concern,and challenges, in order to identify future practical cooperationmechanisms.

During the ADMM+, delegates will focus theirdiscussions on five prioritised areas, including issues relating to seasecurity, peace keeping, medical military cooperation, anti-terrorism,and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Following ADMM+,Vietnam will continue hosting the ASEAN defence senior officials’meeting working group plus (ADSOM WG+) to carry out cooperationprogrammes reached at the ADMM+, said Colonel Vu Tien Trong, Head ofthe Defence Institute for International Relations.

In 2010, theyear of Vietnam holding ASEAN Chairm, Vietnam’s Defence Ministryhas hosted 12 defence and military meetings, including ADMM+, within theASEAN and ARF frameworks./.