The Department of National Defense (DND) shared the Philippines’ positions on regional and international defense and security environment during the recently held ASEAN Defense Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) and ADSOM-Plus Meetings in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
In a statement Monday night, May 23, DND Spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said reports about the recently conducted ASEAN military and defense meetings, progress reports of ASEAN defense cooperation, and the endorsement of new concept papers, discussion papers, and joint declarations were discussed in the ADSOM meeting held from May 17 to 18.
Further, preparations for the conduct of the 16th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 9th ADMM-Plus were also tackled. These top-level meetings will be held on June 21 to 22 and Nov. 21 to 23, respectively, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Meanwhile, recent security developments in ASEAN and progress reports of the seven ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups (EWGs) were talked about in the ADSOM-Plus meeting.
DND Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning (USSAP) Arnel Duco represented the Philippines in the ADSOM and ADSOM-Plus meetings.
At the sidelines of the ADSOM and ADSOM-Plus, Duco met with his counterparts through bilateral meetings with Cambodia, Japan, and Singapore.
The ADSOM-Plus leaders also visited the Win-Win Memorial a monument which marks the end of civil wars in Cambodia.
Duco also joined ADSOM-Plus executives in a joint courtesy call on General Samdech Pichey Sena Tea Banh, Cambodia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense.