SINGAPORE: ASEAN defence ministers inked the world’s first multilateral air guidelines on Friday (Oct 19), in a move aimed at managing unexpected encounters between military aircraft especially over contested areas like the South China Sea.

The ministers also strengthened regional counter-terrorism cooperation and established a network against chemical, biological and radiological threats.

The defence chiefs were gathered at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.

At the signing of a joint declaration, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the Guidelines on Air Military Encounters will help “reduce the risk of miscalculations and de-escalate tensions during unplanned encounters among our militaries”.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/asean-agrees-to-guidelines-on-air-encounters-boosts-counter-10843358