Defense ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations are discussing ways to work together to fight regional threats like terrorism, maritime security and human trafficking, as AP reported. Their annual meeting opened Thursday in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. The ministers also are expected to endorse the establishment of a peacekeeping center network and the possible joint development of missiles and other high-tech weapons systems. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ministerial meeting was established in 2006 aimed at pursuing wider security cooperation among the group members and their dialogue partners in the Asia Pacific region.
