Chonburi – The Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Pornpipat Benyasri, officiated the opening of the 16th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM 16) in Thailand this past week. The meeting was held to boost security cooperation between the ASEAN armed forces and raise the confidence in Thailand’s efforts to enhance the region’s role on the international stage.
The 16th ACDFM, held under the theme “Sustainable Security”, took place at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel in Pattaya on March 6th and 7th.
The meeting was attended by Chiefs of Defense Forces from Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. It was organized to strengthen relations between each country’s armed forces and provide a platform for high-ranking officials to discuss security cooperation.
The 16th ACDFM focused on the promotion of the military roles to support border area management, the creation of cooperation to cope with regional threats, such as the development of an intelligence exchange platform and the promotion of military medical centers in the ASEAN as part of the ministerial organization in the region, the promotion of the military roles in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the enhancement of the ASEAN’s capabilities at the global stage on peace operations.
In addition to this meeting, the ASEAN armed forces will come together on peace operation exercise, anti-terrorism exercise, and cyber security meeting. The meeting will issue a joint declaration, which will be endorsed at the ASEAN Defense Minister’s Meeting (ADMM) this July.
