US Defense Minister: ASEAN Remains A Strategic Partner

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with defense ministers throughout ASEAN, except Myanmar, in an unofficial ASEAN-US meeting which was a series of ADMM-Plus.

The ASEAN-US Defense Ministers' Informal Meeting took place the day before the 10th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus meeting in Jakarta, Thursday (16/11), which brought together Defense Ministers throughout ASEAN with defense ministers from ASEAN partner countries, namely the US, Japan, Australia, China, India, New Zealand, Russia, and South Korea.

In the unofficial ASEAN-US meeting, the Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto as the 17th ADMM Chair and the 10th ADMM-Plus led the conversation.

The unofficial AS-ASEAN meeting took place behind closed doors, although at similar gatherings generally journalists were still allowed to cover the opening remarks / convicts of the Indonesian Defense Minister as the leaders of the forum.

However, the US Defense Minister, on his official X account (@SecDef) said ASEAN remains a strategic partner of the US, especially in safeguarding the interests of its country in the Indo-Pacific region.

He said the official ADMM-Plus meeting on Thursday (16/11) took place one year after the formation of the US-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

After the ASEAN-US unofficial meeting, Defense Minister Austin then met Vietnam's Minister of Defense General Phan Vign Giang at the location of the 17th ADMM and the 10th ADMM Plus, namely at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). Furthermore, Austin also met with Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr.

For the 10th ADMM Plus meeting, Thursday (16/11), in addition to the US Defense Minister, ministers from other ASEAN partner countries are also scheduled to attend, including Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy, Deputy Chief of Staff of China's Central Military Commission Marshal Madya Jing Jianfeng, and Indian Defense Minister Shri Rajnathan Singh.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Seonho, Deputy Minister of Defense of New Zealand Richard Anthony Schmidt, Japanese Minister of Defense Affairs Miyazawa Hiroyuki, Deputy Defense Minister of Russia Colonel General/Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin.

ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn is also scheduled to attend the 10th ADMM Plus.