Army holds int'l logistics forum attended by ASEAN, U.S., Australian officials

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- The Army held an annual international military logistics forum Tuesday with officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries as part of efforts to strengthen defense cooperation.

The three-day Korean ASEAN Plus International Forum on Logistics got under way in Gyeryong, 142 kilometers south of Seoul, for talks on developing logistics support and international coordination against non-traditional threats, according to the armed service.

It brought together some 50 officials from 12 countries. They include eight ASEAN members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and Australia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

On Tuesday, the participants shared their experience in responding to non-military threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, before adopting a joint statement on strengthening logistics cooperation and contributing to international peace.

During the forum, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park Jeong-hwan and other South Korean officials will hold bilateral talks with the participants on ways for logistics cooperation.

The inaugural session of the forum took place in 2021.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)