00:01Thank you, Excellencies, distinguished guests, delegates, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
00:10It is an honor to welcome all of you to the 13th ASEAN Defense Minister's Meeting PLUS.
00:18On behalf of the government of the Republic of the Philippines, I wish to thank our fellow member states,
00:26the PLUS countries, and the ASEAN Secretariat, for your support for our chairship of ASEAN and your commitment
00:36to the security and resilience of Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region,
00:44I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our colleague who is joining the ADMM PLUS for the
00:53first time,
00:53his Excellency Kang Shin-chul, Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea.
01:02Welcome, Minister Kang.
01:05I am pleased to share that yesterday the ADMM signed two outcome documents.
01:13These were the joint statement by the ASEAN Defense Ministers commemorating the 50th anniversary
01:22of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia as well as the Manila Joint Declaration
01:31on the 20th anniversary of the ADMM, navigating our future together.
01:38These documents outline our collective commitment to promoting adherence to our shared principles
01:48and strengthening ASEAN unity and centrality in our relations with you, our dialogue partners.
01:58Building on this foundation, we wish to offer in our capacity as Chair of the ADMM PLUS,
02:05three key messages to guide our proceedings this morning.
02:10First, our functional cooperation must remain rooted in mutual respect and adherence to international law,
02:22including the United Nations Charter and the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea.
02:29ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners share the same principles,
02:35such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,
02:41non-interference in internal affairs,
02:44the peaceful settlement of disputes and the renunciation of the threat or use of force.
02:54These principles have bound us over the decades and they must continue to guide us in the years ahead.
03:04Second, let us use this platform to sustain the steady and significant progress we have made under the ADMM PLUS
03:16framework.
03:17In this regard, we are grateful for your support for the Philippines and Japan as co-chairs of our experts
03:27working group on maritime security.
03:30The exchanges among our youth, in particular, will enable them to develop at an early age,
03:40the networks of trust, cooperation that they will need to hold when they hold the reins of leadership in the
03:51future.
04:10Third, and last, in our interdependent world, disruptions, wherever they occur,
04:21have direct implications on the safety and well-being of our people and peoples, perhaps, extra-regionally.
04:34We therefore welcome cooperation on food and energy security amid supply chain challenges and conflicts overseas.
04:44We likewise seek your cooperation in safeguarding migrant workers and seafarers from smaller countries including ASEAN member states who have
04:56been caught in crossfires.
04:58We wish to reiterate what we have said in other defense dialogues this year.
05:06The international order must have a special obligation to protect migrant workers and seafarers
05:14in recognition of their vital contributions to the global economy and the way of life of the countries wherein they
05:25serve.
05:27To conclude, I want to thank you once again for joining us here in Cebu.
05:35Together, let us create a safer and more prosperous future for our region and the world.
05:41In that spirit, allow me to introduce the members of the Philippine delegation.
05:48I am joined by our Senior Undersecretary of National Defense, Undersecretary Ireneo Espino,
05:57Undersecretary Ignacio Madriaga,
06:02Undersecretary Salvador Melchor Mison,
06:07Undersecretary Fabian Pedregosa,
06:11Assistant Secretary Marita Yoro,
06:16Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong,
06:21Assistant Secretary Romeo De La Cruz,
06:26Assistant Secretary Simplicius Adiser,
06:31Here are the leaders of the armed forces of the Philippines,
06:35led by our Chief of Staff General Antonio Naffarete.
