ASEAN Defense Ministers meet in Indonesia to discuss regional security

Asia-Pacific, News November 19, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Defense Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to discuss regional and global security issues. Defense chiefs from the U.S., Australia, Japan, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and China were also present during the meeting.

The 17th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) was conducted under the theme of “Peace, Prosperity, and Security”. The ASEAN defense ministers welcomed their counterpart Timor-Leste, Donaciano Do Rosario Da Costa Gomes, who marked his country’s first participation in a series of ministerial-level meetings as an observer state.

Calls for ceasefire in Gaza

In a joint statement released at the end of the two-day-long meeting, the ASEAN defense ministers called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza amid Israeli attacks and called for all global powers to find an immediate solution to the escalating conflict.

Indonesia’s Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who was presiding the meeting, expressed deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, emphasizing Indonesia’s “clear and firm” stance. Subianto stated that attacks on civilians must cease immediately and efforts for a cease-fire and the establishment of humanitarian aid corridors should be expedited.

Malaysian Defense Minister Mohammad Hasan also reiterated the call for a cease-fire, denouncing the bombing of homes and hospitals in Gaza and the killing of innocent civilians.

Singapore, which has close defense cooperation with Israel, displayed a different stance compared to its Muslim neighbors. Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen pointed out his country’s stance against Hamas, condemning the attacks on October 7.

Secretary-General of ASEAN briefed the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) on recent regional developments in Jakarta, today. Dr Kao also shared relevant key outcomes from the 43rd ASEAN Summit and cross-pillar initiatives. pic.twitter.com/zJvnhd5M9h
— ASEAN (@ASEAN) November 16, 2023

Conflict in Myanmar

The joint statement also called for an immediate cessation of conflicts between the military junta and armed groups in Myanmar. The statement highlighted the need to implement the ASEAN-proposed 5-point plan to restore stability in the country. Representatives of Myanmar’s military junta, barred from summit meetings, did not attend the gathering.

The defense ministers also reiterated their commitment to establishing a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to address sovereignty disputes between China and regional countries.

U.S.-ASEAN cooperation

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attended the summit and conducted bilateral meetings on the sidelines. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Secretary emphasized the U.S. commitment to ASEAN centrality as a key pillar of the United States’ efforts to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific and detailed how U.S. security cooperation with ASEAN partners is contributing to a more stable and prosperous region.

ASEAN-U.S. Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting — *^{Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn attending the ASEAN-U.S. Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Indonesia. (Image Credit: Twitter/@ASEAN}*

He discussed U.S. support for a shared regional vision and outlined challenges to that vision, including coercive PRC activities in the South China Sea, the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, destabilizing DPRK proliferation activities, and the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Pentagon chief met with his counterparts from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in one-on-one meetings on the sidelines. He detailed U.S. plans to implement the U.S.-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024 and beyond, including the launch of an Emerging Leaders’ Defense Fellowship Program, a Gender Advisors Cooperative Initiative, and continued planning for a second ASEAN-U.S. maritime exercise, a Pentagon statement said.