BOLKIAH GARRISON, Tuesday, 12 May 2020 – The first ever virtual ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) Working Group (WG), also the second ADSOM WG of this year, was conducted today and was chaired by Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang, Director General of the Department of Foreign Relations in his capacity as the ADSOM WG and ADSOM-Plus WG leader of Vietnam.
The meeting successfully concluded with a reaffirmation by the ADSOM WG to continue progress in their defence cooperation.
Despite the limitations faced due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the ADSOM WG leaders came together via video conference to deliberate on the new ASEAN defence initiatives, as well as the draft ADMM Three-Year Work Programme for the years 2020 – 2022, which were introduced in the first ADSOM WG of the year in January 2020.
Representing the Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam was Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Director of Defence Policy as the ADSOM WG and ADSOM-Plus WG Leader of Brunei Darussalam.
Following this WG meeting, ADSOM will be held online on the 15 May 2020 consisting of ADSOM Leaders that are of Permanent Secretary-level to discuss defence cooperation in COVID-19 response measures.
KETUA-KETUA ADSOM WG HADIRI MESYUARAT VIRTUAL
BOLKIAH GARISON, Selasa, 12 Mei 2020 – Mesyuarat Virtual Kumpulan Kerja Pegawai-Pegawai Kanan Pertahanan ASEAN (ADSOM WG) yang pertama, juga merupakan mesyuarat ADSOM WG kedua tahun ini, dianjurkan pada hari ini dan dipengerusikan oleh Leftenan Jeneral Vu Chien Thang, Director General of the Department of Foreign Relations selaku Ketua ADSOM WG dan ADSOM-Plus WG Vietnam.
Mesyuarat dilaksanakan dengan jayanya, di mana Mesyuarat ADSOM WG telah menegaskan semula untuk meneruskan perkembangan dalam kerjasama pertahanan mereka.
Dalam usaha untuk mengatasi cabaran yang dikemukakan oleh situasi COVID-19, ketua-ketua ADSOM WG telah berkumpul melalui sidang video untuk membincangkan inisiatif kerjasama pertahanan ASEAN yang baru, serta rancangan ADMM Three-Year Work Programme bagi tahun 2020 – 2022, yang telah diperkenalkan pada ADSOM WG pertama tahun ini pada Januari 2020.
Mewakili Kementerian Pertahanan Negara Brunei Darussalam ialah Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Pengarah Dasar Pertahanan selaku Ketua ADSOM WG dan ADSOM-Plus WG Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Berikutan mesyuarat ADSOM WG ini, mesyuarat ADSOM akan diadakan secara online pada 15 Mei 2020, di mana ketua-ketua ADSOM berperingkat Setiausaha Tetap akan berkumpul bagi membincangkan kerjasama pertahanan dalam langkah-langkah tindak balas COVID-19.