Under the theme of “Defence cooperation towards peaceful and prosperous ASEAN Community”, the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-8) performed well its role of the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. Through the meeting, Vietnam made significant contributions, affirming its status and role in this multilateral defence forum.
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ASEAN Defence Ministers attending the meeting (Photo: qdnd.vn) |
The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) was formally established in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 9 May 2006. After 8 meetings, this mechanism has become the annual operation of defence ministers of ASEAN countries. According to ASEAN Charter, the Chair of ADMM is the ASEAN chair and is rotated following the ASEAN chairmanship. It acts as a permanent office, aggregating and reporting operations to the ASEAN Summit. As an important part of ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ADMM create framework for dialogue and consultation at defence minister level on strategic, defence and security issues; at the same time it also sets a foundation for promoting cooperation in reality among defence forces of the region. At present, ADMM is the highest defence cooperation mechanism of ASEAN; the forum for countries to share and express their views and mutual understanding to promote cooperation in each particular field both intensively and extensively. ADMM aims to help member countries enhance cooperation to deal effectively with emerging security challenges; to maintain a peaceful and stable environment in the region through dialogues and defence cooperation, contributing to building trust, strengthening ASEAN internal solidarity in order to realize the APSC in 2015.
The ADMM-8 convened at an important time when the 2015 milestone is near, political-security situation in the region saw complexities, especially Thai internal affairs and tensions on the East Sea. To upgrade ASEAN’s central role as well as its efficacy and status in settling regional and international security issues, the meeting has discussed and agreed on important issues.
Exchanging views on regional and international security issue, defence ministers of ASEAN all agreed that multi-polarity in the international relation has had deep impact on the political-security situation in the world; the competition for power influence, the search for market and interest among powers has made situations become hot in some countries, such as: Syria, Ukraine, Iraq… As of Asia – Pacific, defence – security matters, especially maritime security issue, are evolving with fast changes, complexity, and unpredictability requiring ASEAN member countries to make gigantic effort in consolidating the region’s solidarity and self-reliance by sharing responsibility in regional and international security challenges. Basing on the outcomes in the 7th ASEAN – China Senior Officials Meeting (April 2014) in Thailand, the 24th ASEAN Summit and some other just-ended meeting in Myanmar, defence ministers of ASEAN all expressed their deep concern over the complicated and fast-changing security environment of the region caused by the escalated tensions in Korean Peninsular, East Sea and East China Sea, along with the competition among major powers, emerging countries and serious detriment caused by natural disasters. In particular, regarding to the tension in the East Sea after China illegally placed its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 deep within Vietnam’s economic exclusive zone and continental shelf, the meeting has stressed the importance of peace and stability in the region. ASEAN defence ministers also agreed to reaffirm commitment of ASEAN member countries in fully and effectively implementing Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and ASEAN’s Six-Point Principle on the East Sea; supported the effort in completing the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea between ASEAN and China.
Assessing cooperation in the framework of ADMM between 2011 – 2013 period, the meeting agreed defence cooperation has been making significant contribution to building Political – Security pillar of ASEAN Community, notably the implementation of initiatives, ideas to drive defence cooperation towards settling new security challenges, such as: to establish a Direct Communications Link (DLC); to establish an Expert Group on Humanitarian Mine Action and hold exercise in the framework of ADMM,… Besides, ADMM-8 also commended the notable achievements of the ADMM+ expert working group in the five priority areas of cooperation namely, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR); Maritime Security; Military Medicine; Counter Terrorism; and Peacekeeping Operations as they contributed significantly to creating and maintaining peaceful environment for development in Asia – Pacific region, including ASEAN. In particular, the meeting also praised effort of Defence Senior Official Working Group of ADMM and ADMM+ in preparing Concept Papers on each particular of cooperation of ADMM and ADMM+ creating legal foundation and favourable mechanism to concretize ideas for promoting defence cooperation to a new height.
On 2014-2016 Action Plan, the meeting has decided on priorities for action of ADMM. First, to enhance defence cooperation in the region, concentrating on raising awareness of defence policies, establishment and capacity of each country in ASEAN; to establish DCL as scheduled, thereby increasing transparency in defence policy, building trust, promoting cooperation through exercises, conferences, and forums at regional level. Second, to improve prospect for defence-security cooperation and development towards substantiality and effectiveness, especially in the fields of HADR, defence industry, delegation exchanging, peacekeeping operations, logistics support, maritime security and search and rescue (SAR) in which importance is attached to cooperation for dealing with non-traditional and trans-national security challenges. Third, to enhance relations and defence cooperation with dialogue partners to strengthen and stabilize security for ASEAN member countries by promoting the existing cooperation. Accordingly, aspects for cooperation which have been done suitably with ASEAN’s capacity will be paid attention for further development; at the same time, Humanitarian Action will be will be supplemented as new aspect of cooperation; study to widen Channel 2 Forum – NADI,… with the participation of dialogue partners holding ADMM+ membership. To regularly exchange view on regional and international security challenges to agree on assessment and solution for the issues, especially maritime issue between ASEAN and its dialogue partners. Fourth, to build and share ASEAN’s standards through which regional peace and security are facilitated. The core content is to implement DOC and ASEAN’s Six-Point Principle on East Sea in their entirety, to early reach COC for implementation. Besides, to improve coordination mechanisms in search and rescue at sea as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Realising the strategic importance of ADMM to the security structure of the region, Vietnam – as a member of ASEAN, has actively joined this mechanism and had positive contribution to creating a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment for a developed and prosperous ASEAN. Since the very first ADMM, Vietnam has been active in promoting the progress of ADMM in light of ASEAN’s charter and proposed a number of initiatives, contributing to making cooperation in ADMM substantial and effective. On assessing international and regional security situation, especially disputes and controversies in the East Sea and on land, as well as non-traditional security challenges (cyberspace security, trans-national crime,…) Vietnam has initiated and will build the Concept Paper on “No First Use of Force” for consideration and discussion at working group level, at vice-ministerial level and will submit for approval at ministerial level in ASEAN in order to have commitment to settle controversy, dispute by peaceful methods, non-use of force or threat to use force. At annual meetings of ADMM, with regard to complicated evolution in the East Sea, Vietnam has proposed enhancing cooperation among navies in the region through joint patrols, exchanges, hotlines among navies and defence ministers of the region. Vietnam was also ready to commit to no threat of force and no first use of force; besides, Vietnam also proposed enhancing cooperation in search and rescue at sea and in counter piracy,… Especially, at ADMM-7 (in Brunei), Vietnam’s initiative to establish Expert Group on Humanitarian Action has been appreciated and put into implementation in the 2014-2017 period, co-hosted by Vietnam and India.
Vietnam also informed the meeting about China’s illegal placement of its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 deep within Vietnam’s economic exclusive zone and continental shelf which seriously violated the 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as well as the DOC to which China is a signatory, running counter to agreements between leaders of the two States and Parties. Vietnam also reaffirmed its stance to resolutely struggle for national sovereignty by peaceful means within international law framework. At the same time, Vietnam called for the bloc’s further internal unity to defend and support each other for peace, stability, and development in ASEAN, simultaneously raising high vigilance not to let major powers use ASEAN as a tool for their interests and ambitions in the region..
At the meeting, many defence ministers have expressed their deep concern over the East Sea tension and voiced support for Vietnam’s stance to settle the disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, UNCLOS-1982 and DOC. Especially, the Eighth Joint Declaration of ASEAN Defence Ministers “has stressed the importance of peace and stability in the East Sea, reaffirmed commitment of ASEAN Member States in fully and effectively implementing DOC as well as ASEAN’s Six-Point Principle on the East Sea, supported for the effort to work towards an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea”. This is an importance advance, representing the unity and consensus of ADMM in general and Vietnam’s role in particular in settling security issues in the region, contributing to affirming and improving ASEAN’s role and status for the regional security structure towards building a peaceful and prosperous ASEAN Community.
Major General Vu Tien Trong
Director of the Insitute for Defence International Relations.