Hanoi (VNA) - The ꦍExperts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Acജtion of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) convened their fourth conference in Hanoi on October 20.

In his speech opening the function, Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh said Vietnam is pleased to work together with India in coordinating the group’s activities for the 2014-2017 tenure, lauding the responsibility and cooperative spirit of India. He stated that the conference of ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Action and Peacekeeping in India in March 2016 marked a new development of the group, contributing to peace and security in the region. Eighteen member states discussed and agreed with a report summarising the group’s activities for 2014-2017. According to the report, the group was established in 2013, consisting of the ten ASEAN member states and their eight dialogue partners – India, the Republic of Korea, the US, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, China, and Australia. It aims to promote cooperation among member countries in recovery from the aftermaths of bombs, mines, and explosives left over from wars and conflicts. Vietnam and India were assigned to be the first chairs for 2014-2017. Over the past three years, cooperation within the ADMM+ humanitarian mine action framework has been deepened through a number of seminars and discussions. These seminars and discussions focused on areas such as specialised training and underwater demining. Participants also discussed tasks for 2017-2020, with proposals on organising more conferences on bomb/mine affairs, boosting humanitarian mine actions and carrying out a drill in 2019. Concluding the meeting, Vietnam and India officially announced they accomplished their terms and transferred the co-Chairmanship to Laos and Russia for the 2017-2020 tenure. They expected the new chairs to collect feedback and ideas from the conference to complete the action plan for submission next year. The same day, the headquarters of the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre was inaugurated in Hanoi’s outlying district of Thach That. A development partners’ meeting was also be held, during which a map of areas suspected of contaminating with bombs and mines debuted.-VNA