Manila, April 1 -- Senior defense officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partner countries convened in Manila to strengthen cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) while addressing emerging regional security challenges.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of National Defense (DND) said the Philippines, as this year's ASEAN chair, hosted the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials' Meeting (ADSOM)-Plus Working Group from March 30 to 31.

The meeting brought together representatives from ASEAN member states and "Plus Countries" - Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States.

DND Assistant Secretary for International Affairs M...