The ASEAN defense ministers and the bloc’s Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn led the meeting held in this capital, which also hosted the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings a few days ago.

Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin stated that the current security challenges, such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and digital manipulation, now pose as great a danger as territorial disputes.

He emphasized that this requires ASEAN to adopt a technologically forward-looking vision, collaborate on cybersecurity, and share innovation.

In his opening remarks, Mohamed Khaled thanked Thailand and Cambodia for entrusting Malaysia to facilitate and accelerate the peaceful resolution of their border dispute, as well as other ASEAN member states and partners for their continued support.

The official urged all ASEAN nations not only to support this peaceful effort, but also to facilitate and expedite the formation of the organization’s Observer Team.

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