The 18th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Vientiane reaffirmed regional defence cooperation and unity while addressing critical challenges, including Myanmar’s controversial stance.
Vientiane, Laos, 20 November 2024 – Minister for Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen represented Singapore at the 18th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) today, joining his counterparts to strengthen regional defence ties amidst evolving security challenges.
The Ministers adopted the Vientiane Joint Declaration for ASEAN: Together for Peace, Security, and Resilience, which underscores the ADMM’s commitment to bolstering cooperation among ASEAN Member States and Plus countries. The declaration focuses on enhancing collective resilience against shared and emerging security threats, reinforcing ASEAN’s role as a pillar of regional stability.
A key highlight was the approval of the Strategy Paper on a Future-Ready ADMM and ADMM-Plus, co-sponsored by Brunei and Singapore. This forward-looking strategy outlines the post-2025 trajectory of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus, aligning with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The paper proposes initiatives such as refreshing the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups (EWGs), enhancing their Observership Programme, and strengthening the ADMM-Plus framework to ensure its relevance amidst a dynamic security landscape.
During the meeting, Myanmar’s dissent on several issues prompted sharp remarks from Dr. Ng, who emphasised the importance of maintaining ASEAN Centrality. He cautioned that Myanmar’s actions could undermine two decades of collective defence cooperation and diminish the ADMM’s credibility. Dr Ng further highlighted that Myanmar’s stance contradicted the ASEAN Leaders’ October 2024 directive, which called for the Myanmar crisis to not impede ASEAN decision-making processes.
The ADMM Ministers acknowledged the complexities of these discussions and agreed to continue addressing unresolved issues in the coming year. Dr. Ng called for unity among the Ministers, urging them to prioritise the ADMM’s interests to sustain its centrality in regional defence matters.
Dr. Ng will also attend the 11th ADMM-Plus tomorrow, where Defence Ministers from eight key dialogue partners—Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States—will join the discussions to enhance multilateral defence collaboration.
Source: MINDEF
