ASEAN MUST REMAIN NEUTRAL TO ENSURE REGIONAL STABILITY - KHALED NORDIN
KLUANG, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- ASEAN must remain neutral to any major world power to maintain stability in the Southeast Asian region, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.
He said ASEAN is a balancer of power and a contributor to peace and stability in the region.
“Without the close cooperation among members of this 10-member grouping, the region is easily headed towards chaos.
“That is why, the principle of ASEAN centrality needs to be respected and preserved.
“ASEAN should not be disturbed, be pushed around or be influenced by any superpower,” he told reporters here today.
The minister said an ASEAN member country will face difficulties if they have to deal with major threats alone without the support and cooperation of other members of the grouping.
Earlier, Mohamed Khaled attended the closing of the LTAT Contributors' Week: Southern Tour 2024 organised by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) here today.
The LTAT Contributors' Week: Southern Tour 2024, which began on Sept 2, ended today with some 3,500 visitors recorded, mostly among the military personnel and their families.
At the event, Mohamed Khaled also launched the LTAT Contributors Report.
-- BERNAMA
