BOLKIAH GARRISON, Wednesday, 15 November 2017 – The 14th Joint Defence Working Committee (JDWC) Meeting between Brunei Darussalam and the United States of America was held at the Officers’ Mess in Bolkiah Garrison yesterday. The meeting was co-chaired by Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Acting Director of Defence Policy, Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam, and Colonel Scott W. Burnside, Chief for Southeast Asia Policy Division (J52), United States Pacific Command (US PACOM).
The meeting discussed the strengthening of bilateral defence relations between Brunei Darussalam and the United States, taking stock of the current engagements in terms of exercises and training, along with opportunities for enhancing bilateral cooperation, as well as multilateral cooperation through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus framework. The meeting also discussed and exchanged views on areas of common concern within defence and security. Brunei Darussalam also observed the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (EWG on HADR) work plan, in view of United States co-chairmanship with Malaysia for the 2017 – 2019 cycle.
Held in conjunction with the JDWC, Captain (Retired) Dato Paduka Abdul Rahman bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, Permanent Secretary of Defence, received a courtesy call from Colonel Scott W. Burnside this morning.
During the call, both sides expressed pleasure at the status of the bilateral defence relations of both countries. Both sides also highlighted the success of yesterday’s JDWC meeting and the successful conduct of CARAT last week as having enhanced the momentum of bilateral defence relations between Brunei Darussalam and the United States of America all in the same month.
Both sides were also positive that the discussions that have taken place during CARAT as well as JDWC would enable Brunei Darussalam and United States of America to explore opportunities for cooperation as well as enhance existing initiatives.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Defence Cooperation on 29 November 1994 subsequently established the JDWC as a platform for discussion to explore areas of cooperation between the two countries.
MESYUARAT JAWATANKUASA KERJA PERTAHANAN BERSAMA DI ANTARA NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM DAN AMERIKA SYARIKAT KALI KE-14
BOLKIAH GARISON, Rabu, 15 November 2017 – Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kerja Pertahanan Bersama (JKPB) antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Amerika Syarikat yang ke-14 telah diadakan di Mes Pegawai Bolkiah Garison, Kementerian Pertahanan kelmarin. Mesyuarat ini telah dipengerusikan bersama oleh Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Pemangku Pengarah Dasar Pertahanan, Kementerian Pertahanan Negara Brunei Darussalam, dan Colonel Scott W. Burnside, Ketua Divisyen Asia Tenggara, United States Pacific Command (US PACOM).
Mesyuarat ini telah membincangkan pengukuhan hubungan pertahanan dua hala, dan telah mengambil kira penglibatan kedua buah negara dalam pelbagai aktiviti pertahanan dan ketenteraan, khususnya dalam eksesais dan latihan. Mesyuarat ini juga telah meninjau pelbagai bidang dalam usaha meningkatkan lagi kerjasama dua hala dan pelbagai hala melalui rangka kerja ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). Mesyuarat tersebut juga melibatkan pertukaran pandangan mengenai isu semasa dalam bidang pertahanan dan keselamatan serantau. Dalam mesyuarat tersebut, US PACOM juga menyampaikan pelan kerja (work plan) Amerika Syarikat sebagai pengerusi bersama dengan Malaysia bagi ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (EWG on HADR) bagi tahun 2017-2019.
Bersempena dengan mesyuarat JKPB, Kepten (B) Dato Paduka Abdul Rahman bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan, telah menerima satu kunjungan hormat dari Colonel Scott W. Burnside pada pagi ini.
Dalam kunjungan hormat tersebut, kedua belah pihak berpuas hati dengan hubungan pertahanan dua hala yang sedia ada. Kedua belah pihak juga setuju bahawa mesyuarat JKPB ini berjaya dalam membina momentum hubungan pertahanan dua hala antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Amerika Syarikat berikutan dari eksesais CARAT yang telah tamat dengan jayanya pada minggu lepas.
Kedua belah pihak juga telah menyuarakan rasa positif mengenai perbincangan yang telah diadakan semasa mesyuarat JKPB akan membolehkan kedua belah negara untuk meneroka lagi bidang kerjasama pertahanan dan ketenteraan, dan meningkatkan lagi insiatif-inisiatif yang sedang dijalankan.
Jawatankuasa Kerja Pertahanan Bersama ini ditubuhkan setelah penandatanganan Memorandum Persefahaman dalam Kerjasama Pertahanan antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Amerika Syarikat pada 29 November 1994.