ASEAN defense chiefs adopt 5 initiatives at Cebu summit
ASEAN defense ministers adopted five new cooperation initiatives on Wednesday as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called for regional unity and peaceful settlement of disputes, including those in the South China Sea.
Teodoro presided over the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), which marked two decades of regional defense cooperation amid evolving security challenges.
The meeting coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, a regional agreement promoting peaceful relations among signatories.
During the gathering, defense ministers adopted the Joint Statement Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the TAC and the Manila Joint Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the ADMM.
"ASEAN was founded on the belief that our strength lies in our diversity. We must therefore not allow our differences to divide us from within, and where such differences exist, including in the South China Sea, we must settle them through peaceful and legal means," Teodoro said.
The five adopted initiatives cover a young defense leaders' exchange program, stronger coordination between ASEAN defense dialogue mechanisms, maritime security and emerging technologies, chemical, biological and radiological threats, and updated operational guidelines for ADMM and ADMM-Plus activities.
Among them is a proposal for a 2027 ADMM-Plus conference on chemical, biological and radiological threats, alongside an initiative to strengthen maritime security resilience amid technological developments.
The ministers also endorsed a program to facilitate exchanges among young defense leaders and improve coordination between ADMM-Plus and ASEAN Regional Forum defense dialogues.
Teodoro stressed that ASEAN unity and internal stability remain essential to maintaining regional security.
"It is only when we are united that we can effectively uphold ASEAN Centrality and the principles that bind us, such as mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, and renunciation of the threat or use pf force," he said.
He emphasized that the ADMM and ADMM-Plus have helped strengthen trust among defense establishments and translate dialogue into practical cooperation.
Teodoro also encouraged frank exchanges among delegates to address shared security concerns while respecting differences among member states.
"In this manner, we can promote mutual understanding, find common ground, and better address the challenges we face as individual nations and as a collective whole," he said.
The 20th ADMM forms part of the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN chairship, with defense cooperation, regional stability and adherence to international law among its priorities.