MANILA: The Philippines’ commitment to secure the South-East Asian region was reiterated anew when the Department of National Defence (DND) convened the Ad Hoc Asean Defence Senior Officials' Meeting (ADSOM)-Plus Working Group (WG) via video conference on May 20, Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported.
In a statement on Friday (May 22), the DND said the online meeting was presided over by Defence Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Marita Yoro, in her capacity as ADSOM-Plus WG Chair.
"The meeting revolved around commitments to regional defence and security, particularly with respect to advancing the role and contribution of young women and men in the defence sector to peacebuilding,” the statement read.
The ADSOM-Plus WG also discussed the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Groups Co-Chairship for the 2027-2030 cycle and the way forward of Asean defence engagements for 2026.
The meeting was attended by Asean Member States, the Plus Countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States, as well as the Asean Secretariat.
The ADSOM-Plus WG meeting emphasised Asean’s strong commitment to drive regional security and bolster partnership. - Bernama-PNA
