MANILA, Philippines – DUMATING na sa Pilipinas si United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Martes ng gabi para dumalo sa ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
Ang Pilipinas ang magho-host ng 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) at 13th ADMM-Plus sa October 28 at 29 sa Cebu.
Sa pamamagitan ng ADMM-Plus, magsasama-sama ang ASEAN defense ministers at kanilang counterparts mula sa dialogue partner countries para talakayin ang regional security issues at palakasin ang defense cooperation.
Ang tema ngayong taon ay “Navigating Our Future Together.”
“ADMM is ASEAN’s highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism,” ayon sa Department of National Defense (DND).
Pinalawak ng ADMM-Plus ang defense cooperation sa walong dialogue partners kabilang na ang Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, at Estados Unidos.
Inaasahan naman na kabilang ang South China Sea at West Philippine Sea sa mga paksa na pag-uusapan sa nasabing pulong.
Ang iba pang inaasahang areas of cooperation ay kinabibilangan ng maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counterterrorism, peacekeeping operations, military medicine, humanitarian mine action, at cybersecurity.
“Manila’s broad priorities in its bilateral relations with the US include strengthening the alliance, defense modernization, and future capacity and capability building,” ang pahayag ng DND. KRIS JOSE
