From left to right, Asean defense ministers or their representative, Brunei's Yasmin Bin Umar, Cambodia's Gen. Tea Banh, Indonesia's Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Lao's Douangchay Phichith, Malaysia's Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Myanmar's Gen. Hla Min, Philippine's Voltaire Gazmin, Singapore's Ng Eng Hen, Thailand's Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon, Vietnam's Phung Quang Thanh and Asean's Deputy Secretary General For Political and Security Sayakane Sisouvong applaud after posing for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 5th Asean Defense Ministers Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, May 19, 2011. AP
JAKARTA, Indonesia—Defense ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations are discussing ways to work together to fight regional threats like terrorism, maritime security and human trafficking.
Their annual meeting opened Thursday in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
The ministers also are expected to endorse the establishment of a peacekeeping center network and the possible joint development of missiles and other high-tech weapons systems.
Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The ministerial meeting was established in 2006 aimed at pursuing wider security cooperation among the group members and their dialogue partners in the Asia Pacific region.