This year, the Vietnamese delegation to ARDEX includes representatives from the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as the national focal point for implementing the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), in coordination with the Ministry of National Defence’s rescue forces and medical teams.
The exercise ran from July 22 to 24, 2025, focusing on three main components: Tabletop Exercise (TTX), Command Post Exercise (CPX), and Field Training Exercise (FTX). VDDMA led and coordinated the TTX and CPX sessions and collaborated with the rescue and medical forces during the FTX.
General Kun Kim, Senior Minister and First Vice President of Cambodia’s NCDM and Chair of the 2025 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management, presided over the opening ceremony.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, Minister-Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia Mr. Ngo Van Tuat, and many distinguished guests attended the event.
In his opening speech, General Kun Kim emphasized that, as Cambodia is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, its authorities fully recognize the importance of preparedness, early action, and coordinated response to unexpected hazards.
He noted that the Royal Government of Cambodia has issued a National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction for 2024–2028, as well as a national roadmap for early warning systems and relevant strategies and policies to strengthen national disaster management capacity.
According to General Kun Kim, ARDEX-25 plays a vital role in supporting the implementation of the National Action Plan and demonstrates Cambodia’s commitment to contributing to the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community pillar through enhanced regional cooperation.
He further highlighted that ASEAN is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, facing threats such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons. These hazards have caused significant impacts on lives, livelihoods, and socio-economic development, requiring comprehensive and collective approaches that exceed the response capacity of any single country.
Stressing the importance of regional cooperation, General Kun Kim reaffirmed the role of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), signed in 2005, as a foundational framework for ASEAN collaboration. He stated:
“AADMER provides a clear roadmap for ASEAN Member States to work together in reducing disaster risk, enhancing preparedness and effective response, and reflects our shared vision of building a disaster-resilient and safe ASEAN Community.”
The Cambodian Senior Minister affirmed that ARDEX-25 is not merely a simulation, but also a concrete implementation step to operationalize AADMER more deeply and effectively.
Moreover, ARDEX-25 provides an opportunity for ASEAN countries to assess the effectiveness of the Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP), as well as evaluate national and regional coordination mechanisms in responding to specific scenarios.
Through these activities, ASEAN aims to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement to ensure timely, effective, and well-coordinated responses under the “One ASEAN, One Response” vision.
In this spirit, the First Vice President of NCDM expressed hope that ARDEX-25 will offer valuable lessons to further improve disaster management systems, facilitate experience sharing, enhance mutual understanding, and strengthen solidarity among ASEAN Member States and international partners.
