ASEAN Counter-Terrorism Summit Concludes with Commitment to Strengthen Strategy
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Synopsis
The recent ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus focused on developing a comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism and extremism. Key discussions highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation, sharing of intelligence, and the establishment of future exercises to strengthen regional security.
Key Takeaways
- Development of a strong counter-terrorism strategy
- Enhanced intelligence-sharing among nations
- Commitment to regional cooperation
- Planned exercises in Malaysia and India
- Transfer of co-chairmanship from Myanmar and Russia to India and Malaysia
New Delhi, March 21 (NationPress) Crafting a strong and all-encompassing strategy to combat the escalating menace of terrorism and extremism was a prominent outcome of the 14th session of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT), as reported by an official on Friday.
The two-day conference, which wrapped up on Thursday, aimed to exchange the practical experiences of the Defence forces across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and their dialogue partners.
This meeting established a groundwork for the forthcoming activities, exercises, meetings, and workshops planned for the current cycle, according to officials.
Representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN nations (including Lao PDR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam), as well as ADMM-Plus member nations (China, USA, Russia, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) attended the gathering.
Throughout the discussions, the co-chairs, India and Malaysia, presented the action plan for the upcoming activities scheduled for the 2024-2027 cycle. They announced the hosting of a Table-Top Exercise for the EWG on CT in Malaysia in 2026, followed by a Field Training Exercise in India in 2027, as stated in an official release.
Previously, Myanmar and Russia, who co-chaired the EWG on CT for the 2021-2024 cycle, transferred the leadership to India and Malaysia for the current cycle (2024-2027). India is leading the inaugural EWG meeting for this new cycle.
In the opening session, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh delivered the keynote speech and engaged with the heads of delegations during the opening ceremony.
The Defence Secretary stated, "India is unwavering in its zero-tolerance stance towards terrorism and advocates for an approach that integrates robust domestic mechanisms, enhanced intelligence-sharing, and strong regional collaboration."
He underscored that through the ADMM-Plus framework, India aims to foster synergy among the Defence forces, security agencies, and policy structures to effectively tackle emerging threats.
He reiterated that terrorism is a dynamic and evolving challenge, with threats increasingly crossing borders. He emphasized India’s initiatives in combating terrorism in the region, including the adoption of the Delhi Declaration during India’s chairmanship of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UNSC in 2022.
Joint Secretary of International Cooperation, Ministry of Defence, Amitabh Prasad, Additional Director General of IC, Indian Army, along with senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Army’s Counter-Terrorism division, participated in the event.
