Minister of Defense Koizumi’s Participation in the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus

November 2, 2025
Japan Ministry of Defense

On November 1, 2025, the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (hereinafter referred to as “ADMM-Plus”) was held in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), and Minister-level participants exchanged views on “Reflection on 15 Years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward”. An outline of statement by Minister of Defense Koizumi, who represented Japan at the meeting is as follows:

The security environment in the Indo-Pacific is more severe and complex than ever before. We are deeply concerned about any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East and South China Seas, as well as North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile development and its advancement of military cooperation with Russia. The peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are important. Furthermore, the immediate resolution of the abductions issue by North Korea is imperative.

Also, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an outrageous act that shakes the very foundation of the international order. It is also important that the agreement in the Middle East leads to calming the situation and improvements in humanitarian circumstances.

As root causes of these challenges, trust in the international relations is eroding. Specifically, trust is wavering in three cardinal spirits: (i) the rules-based international order, including the rule of law; (ii) accountability; and (iii) responsibility for international public goods.

In making efforts to restore confidence in these spirits, ASEAN’s role is decisively important. Its “centrality” and “unity” must be continuously upheld through the collective efforts of all countries in the region.

For 15 years, ADMM-Plus has helped ASEAN strengthen its “centrality” and “unity,” overcoming challenges and supporting peace and prosperity. For example, the ADMM took a significant step forward by adopting the “Concept Paper on the Implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific from a Defense Perspective.” This marks a major milestone in our journey. Japan quickly supported this concept and co-hosted the MCCC, “Maritime Cooperation and Connectivity Conference” with Indonesia, as the first official ADMM-Plus event under this concept. This gathering brought ASEAN and Pacific island countries together. The AOIP shares fundamental principles with Japan’s FOIP, and we will continue to strengthen defense cooperation to foster synergy between them. These efforts must be based on each country’s voluntary actions. At this juncture, I urge all defense authorities here to reaffirm the three cardinal spirits

Guided by these spirits, I call for us to strengthen respective voluntary initiatives, and interconnect various areas of defense cooperation – such as joint exercises, capacity building, and equipment collaboration – layer after layer, creating strong synergies to weave a multilayered web of interconnectivity across the region, thereby fostering a flexible, resilient, and stable regional order.

The Japan–U.S. Alliance and Japan remain cornerstones of peace and prosperity in the region. With this robust Alliance, Japan will continue to fulfill its role and responsibilities for the prosperity of the region and the international community. Please place full confidence in us.

Japan is a “trusted partner” for ASEAN in promoting peace and prosperity. Our defense cooperation is guided by “Vientiane Vision,” “Vientiane Vision 2.0” and the “JASMINE Initiative.” At the Shangri-La Dialogue this May, we proposed the spirit of “OCEAN” for all to share.

We will advance Japan–ASEAN cooperation to strengthen both our defense ties and regional interconnectivity, with ASEAN at the center.

To that end, we will combine traditional approaches with new perspectives — for example, — (i) reflecting a Women, Peace and Security (WPS) perspectives to HA/DR; (ii) introducing a climate‑change perspective into maritime Joint Cooperative Activity (JCA) that will be held under the Maritime Security EWG; (iii) and addressing the increasingly complex CBR threats posed by emerging technologies such as AI. These efforts will help us build stronger regional interconnectivity and respond to evolving challenges.

In these challenging times, Japan-ASEAN defense cooperation will contribute even more to peace and prosperity in the Indo- Pacific.

After the exchange of views among the participating countries, the meeting adopted the Joint Statement in Commemoration of the 15th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus.