Minister of Defense Kishi’s Participation in the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, the 7th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, and the 6th ASEAN-Japan Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting

1. The 10th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus

1. 　(1) The online ceremony of the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus was held with the attendance of H.E. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Minister-level participants from 10 ASEAN Member States and 8 Plus countries, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN. H.E. Mr. Phuc, H.E. General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defence of Viet Nam, H.E. Dato. Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and H.E. Mr. Atul Khare, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, all delivered speeches looking back on the development of ADMM-Plus over the past decade. Minister Kishi and H.E. Mr. Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defense of India, also provided commemorative speeches on behalf of the Plus countries.
2. 　 (2) Minister Kishi noted that the ADMM-Plus has made steady progress as the only framework for government-hosted meetings of Defense Ministers within the Indo-Pacific Region, and underscored his deep respect for ASEAN’s efforts in establishing and maintaining such an open and inclusive regional framework, noting ASEAN’s role as the driving force behind dialogue given its part in leading a diverse framework comprising ASEAN and Plus countries.
3. 　 (3) Minister Kishi emphasized that Japan has consistently honored ASEAN’s regional leading role and supported its initiatives to tackle non-traditional security challenges. He also stressed that Japan has advocated for participating countries overcoming regional security challenges through reason and dialogue. Minister Kishi expressed his strong expectation that ADMM-Plus will continue to be a platform for confidence-building, and pointed to Japan’s determined commitment to furthering security cooperation in the region as a responsible Plus country.

2. The 7th ADMM-Plus

1. 　 (1) The 7th ADMM-Plus was held via a videoconference with Minister-level participation from the 10 ASEAN Member States and 8 Plus countries. At the meeting, the outcomes of the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting-Plus (ADSOM-Plus) in November were reported. Views were exchanged among Minister-level participants on the regional and international security landscape. On this occasion, the Ministers adopted the Joint Declaration on “Strategic Security Vision of the ADMM-Plus”, followed by a signing ceremony. The meeting concluded with a handover of chairmanship between Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam.
2. 　 (2) Minister Kishi stated that international cooperation and multilateralism are more important than ever before given the global challenge posed by COVID-19. He also stated that national defense authorities have played an important role in each country since the early stages of the outbreak and that ASEAN made a concerted effort to enhance the efficacy of cooperative infectious disease control frameworks. He expressed Japan’s determination to promote defense cooperation on infectious disease control.
3. 　 (3) Minister Kishi further noted that with ASEAN located at the center of the Indo-Pacific region, maintaining ASEAN centrality and unity is fundamental to the stability and development of the region. Furthermore, he expressed his full support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), which shares fundamental principles with Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” concept.
4. 　 (4) On the South China Sea issue, Minister Kishi stated that the rule of law is a condition necessary for securing a free and open sea, and that Japan strongly opposes unilateral attempts to change the status-quo by coercion or the creation of a fait accompli. Japan shares concerns with ASEAN over this situation. Moreover, he expressed Japan’s position that the Code of Conduct (COC) should be consistent with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), and should not infringe the legitimate rights and interests of all stakeholders. Minister Kishi rounded out his comments on this subject with a strong request for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS.
5. 　 (5) On issues related to North Korea, Minister Kishi highlighted the imperative of ensuring the full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including through measures against “ship-to-ship transfers”, and steps toward the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement (CVID) of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges.
6. 　 (6) Then, Minister Kishi stated that Japan, as co-chairs with Vietnam, will commence activities from April next year as part of the 4th cycle of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on peacekeeping operations. Japan is committed to contributing to the region through its co-chairing role in this forum. Lastly, he expressed his resolve that Japan will work strenuously to ensure a free and open international order based on the rule of law in light of the global pandemic that has brought us together with a strong sense of cooperation.

[Reference] Participants other than Japan