PHNOM PENH: The Director General of the General Department of Research and Intelligence of the Ministry of National Defense, Lt. Gen. Hun Manith, chaired the ASEAN Military Intelligence Meeting, while the Joint Secretariat of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. Gen. Pen Sokretvittaya, chaired the ASEAN Military Operations Meeting, to prepare for the upcoming ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting later this year.

The meetings were held from 14-15 March 2022, with the participation of all 10 ASEAN member countries, under the theme "Unity for Security, Harmony"

According to Lt. Gen. Pen Sokretvittaya, the choice of this topic is based on the will and desire of Cambodia to promote cooperation among ASEAN member states, and to address and respond to key security issues in the region in order to inspire and encourage all ASEAN Member States to address emerging threats, especially during high-risk circumstances, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The main purpose of this topic is to increase opportunities for peace and stability that are acceptable to all. Another goal is that any solution to regional problems will also yield beneficial results for individual countries and the region as a whole. On the other hand, the main idea of this topic is to avoid selfishness and mutual exploitation in the region while facing various circumstances,” he said.

The 19th ASEAN Military Intelligence Meeting and the 12th ASEAN Military Operations Meeting are two specialized meetings responsible for preparing documents for the 19th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces’ Meeting (ACDFM-19), which will be held on 17 March 2022.