ASEAN member countries promote practical defence cooperation
The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG) was held via video conference on November 16 and aimed at promoting defence cooperation among ASEAN member states.
The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials' Meeting Working Group is held via video conference. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting WorkingGroup (ADSOM WG) was held via video conference on November 16 and aimed at promotingdefence cooperation among ASEAN member states.
The meeting was held under the Chair of Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang,Director of the Defence Ministry’s Foreign Relations Department and head ofVietnam’s ADSOM WG.
ADSOM WG heads and representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat were updated on theASEAN defence cooperation process since the last online meeting in May, anddiscussed documents and the new-standard operating process of the ASEAN DefenceMinisters Meeting (ADMM) as well as draft joint statements of the 14th ADMM and the seventh ADMM Plus, scheduled to go online in December.
Preparation work for ADSOM on November 17, ADSOM Plus WG on November 18, andADSOM Plus on November 19 was also tabled at the meeting.
Expressing an interest in strengthening cooperation between defence experts inthe field of chemistry, the Singaporean representative recommended ASEAN memberstates create an effective channel to stand ready for emergency circumstanceslike COVID-19.
The representative said that along with ongoing studies of a COVID-19 vaccine,Singapore organised an online conference on infectious diseases in June and aworkshop to improve testing capacity and specimen transport in November, attractingthe participation of biology and chemistry experts from ASEAN member states.
Meanwhile, the Thai representative said Thailand held a conference in August onincreasing the role of ASEAN defence organisations in supporting bordermanagement with the participation of the representatives from the UN Office onDrugs and Crime, ASEAN defence ministries, and ASEAN defence attaches inBangkok.
The representative said it is necessary to understand each other’s bordermanagement models in order to cooperate and share experience in borderprotection and transnational crime prevention./.
The Ministry of National Defence partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to hold a virtual symposium themed “Cyber Warfare and International Humanitarian Law: Implications for Regional Security in the Context of COVID-19” on November 2.
International co-operation at sea, manifested by the co-ordination of actions among countries at bilateral, regional and global levels, is indispensable to protect this essential living source and helps harmonise maritime activities and address trans-boundary challenges, a senior official said on November 5.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers reiterated the grouping’s resolve to resume negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) with China, during the 22nd ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting held online on November 10.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
The ASEAN Defence Senior Officials' Meeting Working Group is held via video conference. (Photo: VNA) 
