ASEAN Defense Ministers have stressed the importance of defense cooperation in building an ASEAN Political-Security Community by 2015. They gathered at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat on Wednesday in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, to discuss security and defense issues in the region and the world. Participants at the retreat reiterated their commitment to address defense and security challenges together through cooperation within the ADMM and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) mechanisms. Ministers agreed to continue working on non-traditional security challenges such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and maritime security. They touched upon how to further develop and enhance the ADMM and ADMM-Plus process.

Delegates of the 7th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Retreat pose for a family photo in Seri Begawan, Brunei on August 28, 2013. (Photo: XINHUA/VNA)

Vietnamese high-ranking military officials were led by Minister of National Defense General Phung Quang Thanh who hailed the US policies for contributing to regional peace, stability, and maritime security. Under the ADMM-Plus, Thanh met with defense ministers from the US, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.

The ASEAN-US Defence Ministers Informal Meeting took place the same day.