HÀ NỘI - The Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Action of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) convened their fourth conference in Hà Nội yesterday.

In his speech opening the function, Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Chí Vinh said Việt Nam is pleased to work together with India in co-ordinating the group’s activities for the 2014-2017 tenure, lauding the responsibility and co-operative spirit of India.

He stated that the conference of ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Action and Peacekeeping in India in March 2016 marked a new development of the group, contributing to peace and security in the region.

Eighteen member states discussed and agreed with a report summarising the group’s activities for 2014-2017.

The group was established in 2013, consisting of the ten ASEAN member states and their eight dialogue partners – India, the Republic of Korea, the US, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, China, and Australia.

It aims to promote co-operation among member countries in recovery from the aftermaths of bombs, mines, and explosives left over from wars and conflicts.

Việt Nam and India were assigned to be the first chairs for 2014-2017.

Participants discussed tasks for 2017-2020, with proposals on organising more conferences on bomb/mine affairs, boosting humanitarian mine actions and carrying out a drill in 2019.

Concluding the meeting, Việt Nam and India officially announced they accomplished their terms and transferred the co-Chairmanship to Laos and Russia for the 2017-2020 tenure. They expected the new chairs to collect feedback and ideas from the conference to complete the action plan for submission next year.

The same day, the Việt Nam National Mine Action Centre’s headquarter was inaugurated in Hà Nội’s outlying district of Thạch Thất.

Located in the Thạch Hòa Commune, the headquarter covers a total area of 52,400sq.m and involves a total investment of VNĐ415 billion (US$18.6 million), of which VNĐ213 billion was drawn from official development assistance funds from South Korea. – VNS