ADMM-Plus Defence Ministers Commit to Multilateral Cooperation for Regional Peace and Stability; Adopts Joint Statement Committing to Cooperation on Climate Change

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen attended the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Vientiane, Laos, today.

During the meeting, the Ministers exchanged views on the international and regional security issues. In Dr Ng's remarks, he stressed the importance of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus to maintain centrality and relevance, by adhering to a rules-based order, and continuing regular dialogue and practical cooperation. The meeting also adopted the Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus on Resilience to Climate-Related and Other Natural Disasters, Including Through Best Practices Exchange and Capacity Building which reaffirms the ADMM-Plus' commitment to address the impact of climate change to defence establishments and militaries. Singapore is committed to doing so through Singapore's co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief with New Zealand from 2024 to 2027. Activities planned include a Conference in Disaster Relief in the Context of Climate Change scheduled for 2025.

On the sidelines of the 18th ADMM on 20 November 2024, Dr Ng attended the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting, where the ADMM Ministers and United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III discussed ways to strengthen ASEAN-US defence cooperation. For example, the 2nd ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise will be conducted in 2025 involving the practice of confidence-building measures such as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).

On 20 November 2024, Dr Ng met with Laos Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence GEN Chansamone Chanyalath. Both sides reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral defence relations between Singapore and Laos, and discussed the positive outcomes of Laos' ADMM and ADMM-Plus Chairmanship. Dr Ng also met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, during which Dr Ng and Secretary Austin discussed international security issues as well as reaffirmed the excellent bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and the US.

Singapore was also represented at the ASEAN-China Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting by Permanent Secretary for Defence Mr Chan Heng Kee. The ADMM Ministers and their representatives exchanged views with People's Republic of China Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun on ASEAN-China defence cooperation. They also discussed future areas of cooperation such as sustaining people-to-people interaction programmes and strengthening exchanges amongst educational institutions. Mr Chan also represented Singapore at the Commemorative Ceremony for the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Australian Dialogue Relations and the Commemorative Ceremony for the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Republic of Korea Dialogue Relations.

The 18th ADMM and the 11th ADMM-Plus concluded with the handing over of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus Chairmanship from Laos to Malaysia. The ADMM and the ADMM-Plus are key pillars of the regional security architecture and have contributed to regional peace and security by fostering trust and practical cooperation among its 18 member countries.