Chiefs of defense forces of 10 southeast nations agreed Thursday in Singapore to further information sharing to strengthen security cooperation.
The 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Chiefs of Defense Forces Informal Meeting, themed "Enhancing capacity in addressing security challenges through sharing expertise", was first ever attended by all 10 member countries' military leaders, according to a statement by the Singapore Defense Ministry.
They agreed to work together to address common security challenges in the areas of maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism, infectious diseases management and peace-keeping.
The military leaders further agreed to strengthen cooperation amongst ASEAN militaries through information sharing, intelligence cooperation and capacity building activities such as exercises and workshops.
ASEAN's dialogue partners and other experts could be invited to attend and share their knowledge on issues of common security concern at future meetings, the statement said.
In the next two years, a series of capacity building activities will be organized voluntarily by ASEAN militaries, as a reflection of the collective commitment of the ASEAN defense chiefs to further practical cooperation.
The Thai armed forces will host the first activity, a seminar on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, in the first quarter of next year, said the statement.
The meeting was first held five years ago as an informal networking and confidence building platform amongst ASEAN defense chiefs.
Source: Xinhua
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