George Town: The retirement of the Réunion of the Ministers of Defense of Anase (ADMM) agreed to present the five questions proposed by Malaysia for a complete discussion at the Complete de l’ADMM in November, said Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Questions include artificial intelligence (AI) and the defense of cybersecurity, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster management.
“ADMM accepted all the proposals presented by Malaysia,” he said at a press conference after chairing Admm retirement yesterday.
Mohamed Khaled said on Tuesday, Malaysia would present the five key prospects for Admm.
He stressed that the meeting was a vital platform for members to exchange opinions and shape discussions for the next summit.
He added that the purpose of retirement is to allow all parties to share their perspectives, which will serve as the basis for discussions during the full meeting in November.
Mohamed Khaled underlined the need for Anase to take responsibility for the potential negative impacts of AI.
He stressed that ADM’s decision to adopt a resolution on AI is crucial for regional cybersecurity.
The strengthening of the collaboration of the Anase with the international community to combat emerging security threats has also been underlined.
Another key subject discussed during the retirement was to strengthen the ASEAN unity and regional cooperation in the statement of emerging security challenges.
“We have discussed various possible defense cooperation initiatives according to the need to maintain the unity of the Anase and strengthen cooperation between its members.
“In addition, we cannot ignore the emerging challenges of traditional and non-traditional security threats,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled also said that it was planned to organize workshops on future ADMM and ADMM Plus.
One of the agreements concluded was the need to raise awareness of the protection of underwater cable infrastructure.
“The time has come to consider how to protect the infrastructures of regional submarine cables from the defense point of view,” said Mohamed Khaled.
The other questions discussed were food security and transnational crime.
“If we are not paying attention to these problems, new challenges can arise.
“We have raised the issue of transnational crime and how to improve cooperation and experience sharing in border security management.
On the role of the Anase in the resolution of conflicts in Myanmar, Mohamed Khaled said that the anase approach should be diplomatic rather than military.
He thought that the question remains a priority for the heads of government of the Anase.
“We must be very clear. It is important that we are guided by the decision of the heads of government by trying to resolve the conflict in Myanmar, “he said.
In biosecurity, Mohamed Khaled urged ASEAN members to take the question seriously regardless of the position of the United States within the World Health Organization.
“We must be prepared with preventive measures in any event,” he said.
He highlighted the safety risks posed by infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
“It’s not just a health problem, it is a security risk. We have to be proactive rather than reactive, “he said.