The bloc’s 21st Military Intelligence Meeting (AMIM-21) met this Tuesday in the capital of Laos under the theme “ASEAN: Together for peace, security and resilience.”

Representatives of the 10 member countries of the bloc, plus Timor-Leste as an observer, met at the meeting, which according to official sources provided a platform for military intelligence officers to exchange opinions on how to improve cooperation in this sector.

AMIM-21 also offered a favorable framework to discuss and exchange views regarding the situation in the region, cooperation between ASEAN member countries in the military and defense sphere, especially in the intelligence sector.

The head of Department 213 of the Lao People’s Army, Major General Bouavan Athanasay, highlighted during his speech to the participants, the geopolitical importance of Southeast Asia, particularly in terms of political, military and socio-economic development.

Athanasay warned that the region and the world continue to face security challenges, both traditional and non-traditional, that directly and indirectly impact peace, stability and development, and urged to continue strengthening cooperation to address these issues.

The participants stressed the importance of specialized collaboration mechanisms such as the ASEAN Junior Intelligence Interaction Program (AJIIP), ASEAN Our Eyes (AOE) and the ASEAN Military Intelligence Community (AMIC).

Delegates attending AMIM-21 also agreed to continue improving capacity and mutual trust to respond successfully to security challenges, thus contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability and socio-economic development in the region.

jrr/llp/jha/mpm