Deputy Secretary Defence Policy and Planning Richard Schmidt will represent New Zealand at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines this month.
The forum is an opportunity to engage on regional security issues and strengthen defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific with the goal of upholding peace, stability and prosperity.
This year’s meeting, chaired by the Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr, will be attended by Defence Ministers and representatives from all 19 ADMM-Plus countries.
ASEAN comprises 11 Southeast Asian countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam. The eight ASEAN Dialogue Partners are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
In addition to attending ADMM-Plus, Mr Schmidt will undertake bilateral and multilateral engagements with a number of regional partners.