PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, Wednesday, 6 December 2023 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II today received a farewell call from Wing Commander Matthew Charles Xerri, the outgoing Defence Adviser of Australia to Brunei Darussalam. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sanderson, who will take over the post of Australian Defence Adviser to Brunei Darussalam.
During the call, both sides reaffirmed the robust and long-standing bilateral defence and military relations between Brunei Darussalam and Australia attributed by the comprehensive bilateral engagements conducted by both sides including exchanges of visits, Joint Defence Working Committee (JDWC), intelligence exchanges, courses, and bilateral military exercises. Yang Berhormat Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II and the Australian Defence Adviser to Brunei Darussalam also discussed the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership between Brunei Darussalam and Australia earlier this year in June, which sets in place opportunities to widen bilateral defence and military cooperation in the future. Yang Berhormat Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II also took the opportunity to thank Wing Commander Xerri for his support and contributions during Brunei Darussalam and Australia co-chairmanship of the 4th cycle of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus Experts’ Working Group on Military Medicine (ADMM-Plus EWG on MM).
Wing Commander Matthew Xerri assumed the position as the Australian Defence Adviser to Brunei Darussalam in December 2021, and graduated from the 10th Royal Brunei Armed Forces Command and Staff Course (CSC) in 2020. His contributions towards enhancing Brunei Darussalam and Australia’s bilateral defence relationship is fostered through a comprehensive range of cooperation underpinned by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Defence Activities signed on 10 May 1999. The engagements between Brunei Darussalam and Australia continues to develop through active participation in various platforms such as ADMM-Plus and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI DAN MENTERI PERTAHANAN II MENERIMA KUNJUNGAN PERPISAHAN DARIPADA PENASIHAT PERTAHANAN AUSTRALIA KE NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI, Rabu, 6 Disember 2023 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (Bersara) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pertahanan II, menerima kunjungan perpisahan daripada
Wing Commander Matthew Charles Xerri, Penasihat Pertahanan Australia ke Negara Brunei Darussalam, pada hari ini. Beliau diiringi oleh Leftenan Kolonel Paul Sanderson, yang akan mengisi jawatan tersebut seterusnya.
Semasa kunjungan tersebut, kedua belah pihak mengesahkan semula hubungan kerjasama pertahanan dua hala yang teguh dan telah lama terjalin di antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia yang didokong dengan kerjasama pertahanan dua hala yang komprehensif merangkumi pertukaran lawatan, Jawatankuasa Kerja Pertahanan Bersama (JKPB), pertukaran perisikan, kursus-kursus serta latihan-latihan ketenteraan. Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pertahanan II dan Penasihat Pertahanan Australia ke Negara Brunei Darussalam turut membincangkan penubuhan Perkongsian Komprehensif di antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia pada bulan Jun tahun ini, sebagai peluang untuk memperluaskan kerjasama pertahanan dan ketenteraan dua hala dimasa hadapan. Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pertahanan II juga mengambil kesempatan untuk mengucapkan terima kasih kepada
Wing Commander Xerri diatas sokongan dan sumbangan beliau pada pengerusian bersama Kumpulan Kerja Pakar Mesyuarat Menteri-Menteri Pertahanan ASEAN
Plus didalam Perubatan Ketenteraan (ADMM-Plus EWG on MM) bagi kitaran ke-4 diantara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia.
Wing Commander Matthew Xerri menjawat jawatan Penasihat Pertahanan Australia ke Negara Brunei Darussalam pada Disember 2021, dan merupakan lepasan peserta Kursus Maktab Turus Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (CSC) ke -10 pada tahun 2020. Sumbangan beliau, ke arah mempertingkatkan hubungan pertahanan dua hala diantara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia dipupuk melalui rangkaian kerjasama yang komprehensif berdasarkan dengan Memorandum Persefahaman (MoU) mengenai Kerjasama dalam aktiviti-aktiviti Pertahanan yang telah ditandatangani pada 10 Mei 1999. Penglibatan-penglibatan antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia terus berkembang melalui penyertaan dalam pelbagai platform seperti
ADMM-Plus dan
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).