ASEAN Defence Ministers' Conference

Why in News?

• The 14th Meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Conference and Expert Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism will be held in New Delhi from March 19 to 20, 2025.

About the Conference:

• India and Malaysia will jointly co-chair the meeting.
• This is the first time India will co-chair the Counter-Terrorism EWG.
• Participating Countries:
  • 10 ASEAN Member States
  • 8 Dialogue Partner States
  • Representatives of Timor-Leste and the ASEAN Secretariat.

Expert Working Group (EWG):

• Co-Chairmanship:
  • One ASEAN Member State and one Dialogue Partner are co-chairs.
• Duration:
  • The Working Group is conducted for every three-year cycle.
• Main functions:
  • To decide objectives, policy guidelines and guidance.
  • To hold regular meetings.
  • To conduct exercises in the third year.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

• Establishment: In 1967 under the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration)
• Signatures of the Declaration: 5 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand)
• Members: Currently 10 members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand)
• Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia

India-ASEAN relations:

• India started formal participation with ASEAN in the year 1992.
  • India became a dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1996
  • Became a summit-level partner in 2002
  • Relations were upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2012.
  • Exercises: ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise, ASEAN Solidarity Exercise, etc.