| Asean Defence Ministers To Decide On Expanding Membership |
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By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The Asean defence ministers are gathering here Tuesday to decide whether to expand ties with powers outside the region, including the United States and Russia, as they address complex transnational security challenges.
Officials said any decision to rope in dialogue partners under the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus would need consensus among the 10-member Asean.
According to them, Asean already had good cooperation and a formalised engagement in the form of Asean Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea), as well as the Asean Plus Six (Asean Plus Three plus Australia, New Zealand and India) but these excluded defence ministers.
"Many non-Asean countries are keen to engage with Asean in the area of defence and security as our security is increasingly intertwined," one official said ahead of the ADMM retreat Tuesday.
Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who arrived here Monday, visited a plant in the eastern Thai deepsea port of Laem Chabang where Malaysia's Weststar LDV Sdn Bhd is joining forces with RM Asia Group to modify and sell vehicles for use by humanitarian and security forces.
Present was Weststar managing director Datuk Seri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim.
The official said the retreat would allow ministers to discuss the principles for membership of Asean dialogue partners as well as decide on the initial meeting of once every three years.
Under the proposed concept, an ADMM-Plus country shall be a full-fledged dialogue partner of Asean, where the status is in accordance with the Asean Charter.
The defence ministers, who met at the Third ADMM in Pattaya last February, felt that there was a need to engage their counterparts from dialogue partners to further expand and deepen interactions as they are not involved in the Asean Regional Forum despite it focusing on security matters.
Also on the agenda is promoting the defence industry among member states, and on Wednesday, the ministers will attend the Defence and Security Exhibition here.
Ahmad Zahid will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam and Indonesia Tuesday.
-- BERNAMA
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