US, ASEAN defense leaders commit...

PAGE 1

“Southeast Asian defense ministers and heads of delegation reaffirmed their support for United States cooperative activities in the region, including in key forums such as the ADMM-Plus.”

Washington has been supporting Southeast Asian peers through an ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security and the IndoPacific Partnership for Maritime

Domain Awareness Initiative.

The initiative is part of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy to help partners through training and through familiarity with new technology.

Austin also highlighted the U.S. Coast Guard’s expanded regional maritime law enforcement programs.

The USCG is currently holding their first-ever trilateral exercises with counterparts from Japan and the Philippines that focus on search and rescue operations as well as countering piracy and smuggling of weapons. The trilateral exercises also open professional exchange opportunities for experts and to improve women’s role in the maritime space. The U.S. and ASEAN will be launching their first fellowship program in September for up and coming defense leaders in the region. (Kaycee Valmonte/ Philstar.com) n