GEORGE TOWN: The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) retreat today agreed to accept Germany and Turkiye as observers under the Expert Working Group (EWG) Observer Programme of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus for the 2024-2027 period.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said both countries had applied several times to become observers, and this time, all defence ministers had agreed to accept them.
“As we know, ASEAN’s decisions are based on consensus. Last year and before that, Germany and Turkiye’s applications were not accepted by some countries, so they were unsuccessful.
“Today, we are grateful to all and thankful that under this ASEAN chairmanship, it appears that everyone agrees, meaning there is consensus to accept Germany and Turkiye as observers in the ADMM observer programme,” he told reporters after chairing the ADMM retreat in Batu Ferringhi here today.
More than 150 delegates from ASEAN member states, including Timor-Leste and the ASEAN Secretariat, attended the retreat, which was held in conjunction with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
Malaysia will host over 300 ASEAN-related meetings, programmes, and summits throughout this year, making it one of the most active chairmanships since the country last held the role in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
As the ADMM and ADMM-Plus Chair this year, Mohamed Khaled expects to receive applications from many countries wishing to join as observers, further strengthening ADMM’s position as an open and inclusive regional security framework.
He said the participation of these countries as observers would contribute perspectives, views, and expertise on defence and security matters, which could help promote peace and stability in the ASEAN region.
“These are among the key decisions we have reached with the ADMM retreat in Penang this time,” he said.
Asked about Timor-Leste’s participation as an observer in this ADMM retreat, Mohamed Khaled said it served as an early exposure for the country before being accepted as a full ASEAN member.
“This will help build their capacity so that when they are eventually accepted, there will not be a significant gap between Timor-Leste and other ASEAN member states,” he said.
