AFP affirms commitment to ASEAN security cooperation

During last month's 19th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting-19 (ACDFM-19) at the Ministry of Defense, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Andres Centino affirmed the AFP's commitment to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in ensuring peace and security in the region.

“The ACDFM is a meeting of Chiefs of Defense of ASEAN member countries that serves as a venue to strategically and comprehensively discuss and assess prominent issues of mutual interests related to common security challenges,” the AFP said in a Monday statement.

“It is also a venue for discussions on concerns raised during the ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM),” it added.

This year's meeting was hosted by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), with its Commander-in-Chief, General Vong Pisen, as the Chairman.

The theme for this year is “Solidarity through harmonized security,” which aims to enhance military cooperation among ASEAN member states towards a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and harmonious Southeast Asian region.

On the sidelines of the ACDFM-19, the CSAFP also conducted bilateral meetings with the Head of Delegations of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

“Among the productive outcomes of the ACDFM-19 was the signing of the ACDFM-19 Joint Statement. It reflects the agreed statements that promote solidarity through harmonized security among all ASEAN member states,” the AFP stated.

Before the culmination of the ACDFM-19, General Pisen handed over the Chairmanship of the ACDFM to the Head of Delegation of Indonesia.

Indonesia will host the ACDFM-20 in Jakarta in 2023. — DVM, GMA News