On May 30, defense ministers and representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore gathered for a breakfast meeting, reaffirming their commitment to uphold international laws and norms to ensure that sea and air lanes remain open, allowing for the free flow of trade, data, and energy.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the breakfast meeting was co-hosted by Singapore’s Minister for Public Service Coordination and Minister for Defence, Ng Eng Hen, and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
Ng conveyed his gratitude on Facebook to colleagues from various countries for their candid exchanges. The defense ministers reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN's centrality in sustaining regional stability and also discussed how ASEAN can further promote global peace and prosperity.
“We also reaffirmed our commitment to international law and norms, including the right of transit passage stipulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to collectively ensure that sea and air lanes remain open, promoting the free flow of trade, data, and energy. These are essential lifelines for the economic and social development of all countries.”
The participants also exchanged views on how to tackle humanitarian assistance and disaster response challenges, as well as enhance maritime security and other related topics.
ASEAN defense ministers will continue to cooperate through regional platforms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus.