ADMM-Plus EWG on CT India Malaysia announce work plan for activities for 2024-27

New Delhi, Mar 21 (PTI) With the 14th meeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT) concluding here, India and Malaysia announced work plan for the activities under their co-chairmanship of the forum for the cycle 2024-2027.
     The forum announced the conduct of table-top exercise in Malaysia in 2026 and a field training exercise in India in 2027, the Defence Ministry said in a statement here on Friday.
     The 14th meeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held in New Delhi from March 19-20.
     "Delegations from ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN countries (Lao PDR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam), ADMM-Plus member states (China, USA, Russia, Australia, Japan and Republic of Korea) participated in the meeting," it said.
     During 14th ADMM-Plus EWG on CT, the co-chairs, India and Malaysia, conveyed work plan for the activities planned for the cycle 2024-2027.
     The discussions focused on evolving a robust and comprehensive strategy to tackle the evolving threat of terrorism and extremism.
     "The meeting was aimed to share the on-ground experience of the defence forces of ASEAN countries and its dialogue partners. The meeting laid a foundation for the activities, exercises, meetings, workshops planned for the current cycle," it said.
     Earlier, Myanmar and Russia, co-chairs for EWG on CT during the previous cycle for 2021-2024, handed over the co-chairmanship to India and Malaysia for the present cycle (2024-2027), the ministry said.
     India is hosting the maiden EWG meeting for the current cycle.
     In the inaugural session, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh had delivered the keynote address and interacted with participating head of delegations.
     He said terrorism remains a dynamic and evolving challenge with threats increasingly transcending borders.
     Singh had highlighted India's efforts towards countering terrorism in the region, including adoption of Delhi Declaration during India's chairmanship of Counter-Terrorism committee of the UNSC in 2022, the ministry said.
     Senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Defence Ministry and the Indian Army's Counter-Terrorism division participated in the event.
     The heads of delegations of the participating countries and ASEAN Secretariat also presented their views on adopting best practices for countering terrorism in the region, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)