The 8th Japan-ASEAN Defense Vice-Ministerial Forum
The Forum
- Date/Place: September 20-21, 2016 at Sendai Royal Park Hotel
- Participants: Vice-Ministers from ASEAN member states and ASEAN Secretariat
- Chair: Ro Manabe, Japan’s Vice-Minister of Defense for International Affairs
- Theme: “To Improve Security Environment in the Region: Enhancement of Defense Cooperation between ASEAN and Japan"
- Agendas:
1. Current Regional Security Status
2. United Efforts to Tackle Common Challenges
3. Future of ASEAN-Japan Defense Cooperation - Keynote Speech: Lieutenant General Sein Win, Minister of Defence, Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Lt. Gen. Sein Win, Myanmar Minister for Defence - * First time for ASEAN member state’s defense minister to attend the Japan-ASEAN Defense Vice-Ministerial Forum as a keynote speaker.
Summary of Discussions
- The participants candidly exchanged views regarding regional security environment in the Asia-Pacific region, including situations in the Korean Peninsula, East China Sea and South China Sea. They agreed to share their views in a continuous manner.
- As security-related issues are becoming more complex and difficult for any single country to cope with alone, the participants confirmed the importance of regional cooperation, in such fields as maritime security and HA/DR. They also shared the view on the importance of “rule of law” and peaceful settlement of disputes for regional stability.
- Given diverse security challenges in the region, we shared the view that cooperation to enhance ASEAN-Wide capabilities to address those challenges is important, in addition to enhancing that of individual ASEAN member states. They agreed to further promote Japan-ASEAN defense cooperation in that direction.
- They confirmed that Japan and ASEAN will deepen discussion on defense cooperation at the ASEAN-Japan Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting, which will be held in November in Vientiane, Lao PDR, based on the discussions at this forum.