The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Defence Officials’ Dialogue (ARF-DOD) was
held in Shanghai city, China , on April 11 under the co-chair of the
defence ministers of China and Brunei.
The
conference saw the participation of nearly 60 delegates from ASEAN
member countries and 25 ARF members including the US , Russia , Japan
, the Republic of Korea , and the ASE AN Secretariat.
The event’s press release said the delegates highly valued the ARF’s
contribution to promoting confidence-building measures and preventive
diplomacy. They also exchanged views on the development of the forum in
the future.
The decision to establish the ARF was
reached at the 26 th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Post Ministerial
Conference which was held in Singapore in July 1993. The forum
convened the first meeting in Bangkok one year later.
The forum’s goals, as outlined in the First ARF Chairman’s Statement,
are to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and
security issues of common interest and concern, and contribute to
efforts towards confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the
Asia-Pacific region.-VNA