India to Co-Chair Significant International Counter-Terrorism Meeting for the First Time
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Synopsis
India is set to co-chair an international counter-terrorism meeting for the first time, marking a key step in its global anti-terrorism efforts. Scheduled for March 19-20 in New Delhi, the meeting will involve ASEAN member states and dialogue partners to develop effective strategies against evolving threats.
Key Takeaways
- India will co-chair the EWG with Malaysia.
- 10 ASEAN member nations and 8 dialogue partners will attend.
- Focus on developing a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy.
- Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh will deliver the keynote address.
- This is the first session of a three-year cycle.
New Delhi, March 16 (NationPress) India is poised to take a central role in an imminent international meeting focused on counter-terrorism, representing a crucial step in its global fight against terrorism.
The event, scheduled for March 19-20 in New Delhi, constitutes the 14th session of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Expert Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism.
In a historic first, India will co-chair the EWG in collaboration with Malaysia. This development underscores India's expanding influence and leadership within international counter-terrorism efforts.
Representatives from the 10 ASEAN member states, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand, will participate. Furthermore, eight dialogue partners – Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, the United States, Russia, and Timor-Leste – will also be in attendance, along with representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat.
The focus of the meeting will be on the shifting dangers posed by terrorism and extremism, aiming to develop a strong and comprehensive approach to address these challenges. India's Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, will present the keynote address during the opening ceremony on March 19.
Discussions will concentrate on the exchange of experiences among ASEAN and its dialogue partners' defense forces to create an effective counter-terrorism framework for the upcoming cycle (2024-2027).
This session is the first of several during the current three-year cycle and will set the groundwork for future activities, exercises, seminars, and workshops aimed at boosting cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts.
Within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, the EWG serves as a platform for practical collaboration among defense institutions.
The ADMM-Plus emphasizes seven key areas of collaboration: counter-terrorism, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, military medicine, and cyber security. Expert Working Groups are formed for each area, with co-chairs from both ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners focused on strategic objectives and guiding policies for each cycle.
These groups convene regularly, holding at least two meetings each year, and also coordinate various practical exercises, such as tabletop drills and field training, to assess progress in enhancing collaboration.
Each EWG is co-chaired by one ASEAN member state and one dialogue partner, following a three-year cycle. The responsibilities of the co-chairs include establishing the objectives, policy guidelines, and direction for the EWG for the three-year period at the start of their chairmanship, conducting regular EWG meetings (a minimum of two annually), and organizing an exercise of any nature for all member nations in the third year to evaluate the advancements made in practical cooperation during the cycle.
