Siem Reap, 23 November 2022 (TDI): ASEAN 2022 Chair, Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen delivered a keynote at the Opening Ceremony of the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.
Cambodia’s PM Samdech Techo @hunsencambodia presides over the Opening Ceremony of the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in #SiemReap provincial city this morning pic.twitter.com/BdAXcc5DDF
— Office of Cambodian PM 🇰🇭 (@PeacePalaceKH) November 23, 2022
Cambodia is hosting the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus and the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting as well as the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 21-23 November 2022 to discuss & uphold the security and defense situation in the region.
The meeting between Defense Ministers from ASEAN member states was presided over by Samdech Tea Banh, the Defence Minister of Cambodia.
The theme of this year’s ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus focuses on “harmonized security” among the Southeast Asian Nations and beyond.
ASEAN Chair keynote address
Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen in his keynote address highlights the importance of interdependence for peace and stability.
He urged ASEAN member states to recognize interconnectedness, interdependence, and cooperation as the cornerstone for a peaceful Asia-Pacific.
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ASEAN has been central to this process of fostering regional integration, interdependence, and connectivity. “From my point of view, to realize a ‘harmonized security in our region, we need at least five elements,” Prime Minister said.
He emphasized the importance of ASEAN Centrality, which can help legitly to set and dive agenda. Moreover, he stressed open, inclusive, and rule-based regional security architecture and reaffirmed the importance ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
Prime Minister welcomed all indo-pacific initiatives for regional peace and development and showed full support to ASEAN Centrality and AOIP.
ASEAN Chair argued on strengthening people-centered security mechanisms and defense cooperation. Security and well-being of people should be at the center of our security policy, he noted.
Besides that, the Prime Minister of Cambodia focused on the promotion of comprehensive security. Climate security and health security should be at the core and civil-military cooperation is very crucial to achieve comprehensive security, he stressed.
At last, while underlining the rising complexity and multidimensionality of transboundary conflicts and tension, he underscored the need for cooperative security to address these security threats with collaboration.