Asean defence chiefs congratulate Prawit

The Asean defence ministers acknowledged Prawit’s elevation in the Cabinet before he opened the 13th Asean defence ministers meeting (ADMM)in Bangkok.
Prawit chaired the meeting in his last duty as defence chief before taking up his position as deputy prime minister.
The meeting was attended by defence ministers from Asean nations and the Asean secretary general to discuss security cooperation and to ratify the cooperation framework as well as to discuss preparations for the ADMM-Plus meeting in November.
The defence ministers also signed a contract on security cooperation among the 10 Asean nations. The Asean secretary general late announced the outcomes of the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Prawit said the meeting was successful thanks to the hard work of agencies under the defence ministries of the Asean states and the secretary general.
The signing of the contract showed the Asean countries’ commitment to sustainable cooperation in security affairs for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity. The grouping said it would maintain its neutrality.
Prawit said the Thai Defence Ministry proposed security cooperation ideas for 2019 under the theme of sustainable security to increase efficiency in security cooperation.
Prawit said the meeting also acknowledged the roles of Asean military agencies in tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
At the meeting, six contracts were signed on cooperation to combat threats against the region. These comprise an evaluation of ADMM’s initiatives, for the role of Asean military in border management, for the expansion of Asean members to dialogue partners, on the scope of operations for the Asean Our Eyes project, on the establishment of a mechanism for holding Asean military medicine, as well as for a code of conduct on maritime ties.
Prawit said the meeting also highlighted the significance of compliance with contracts related to the dispute over the South China Sea and the meeting also highlighted the drafting of the code of conduct for affected countries in the South China Sea. The meeting attached importance to peace and stability and the safety of navigation in the South China Sea and for flights over the disputed zone.