BOLKIAH GARRISON, Tuesday, 27 March 2018 – Brunei Darussalam and Australia today held their 16th Joint Defence Working Committee (JDWC) Meeting at the Officers’ Mess, Bolkiah Garrison.
The Meeting was co-chaired by Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam and Ms Zoe Cameron, Assistant Secretary South and South East Asia, International Policy Division, Department of Defence, Australia.
The JDWC Meeting is a platform for both sides to review areas of defence cooperation of mutual interests, including those of regional defence engagements, and also to reaffirm the long-standing bilateral defence relations between Brunei Darussalam and Australia.
During the meeting, the co-chairs discussed a wide range of regional defence and security matters. Both sides deliberated on plans to enhance defence cooperation, particularly in all the three services. The co-chairs stressed the importance of the bilateral defence engagement between the two countries, which have provided opportunities to deepen interaction and exchanges of professional knowledge among their militaries.
As part of the visit programme, the Australian delegation had the opportunity to visit the Royal Brunei Navy Headquarters, and the Defence Academy RBAF. The delegation also paid courtesy calls to the Commander of RBAF, Major General Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Captain (Retired) Dato Paduka Abdul Rahman bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, RBN.
The JDWC between Brunei Darussalam and Australia was established through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation between the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and the Government of Australia signed on 10 May 1999. The MoU serves as a framework for fostering closer defence relations and cooperation between the defence establishments and armed forces of both countries, such as courses and training, military exercises, exchange of information on matters pertaining to security, defence equipment, and exchange of visits between the respective defence and military officials.
MESYUARAT JAWATANKUASA KERJA PERTAHANAN BERSAMA NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM-AUSTRALIA KALI KE-16
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Selasa, 27 Mac 2018 – Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia hari ini mengadakan Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kerja Pertahanan Bersama (JKPB) mereka yang ke-16 di Mes Pegawai Bolkiah Garison.
Mesyuarat ini telah dipengerusikan bersama oleh Haji Adi Ihram bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Pengarah Dasar Pertahanan, Kementerian Pertahanan Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Puan Zoe Cameron, Penolong Setiausaha Asia Selatan dan Tenggara, Divisyen Dasar Antarabangsa, Jabatan Pertahanan, Australia.
Mesyuarat JKPB ini adalah platform bagi kedua-dua pihak untuk mengkaji semula bidang-bidang kerjasama pertahanan kepentingan bersama, termasuk penglibatan pertahanan serantau serta mengesahkan hubungan pertahanan dua hala yang luas dan sudah lama terjalin di antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia.
Semasa mesyuarat berkenaan, pengerusi bersama membincangkan pelbagai perkara pertahanan dan keselamatan serantau. Kedua-dua pihak telah membincangkan rancangan untuk meningkatkan kerjasama pertahanan, terutama di dalam ketiga-tiga perkhidmatan tentera. Pengerusi bersama turut menekankan kepentingan rangka kerja penglibatan pertahanan dua hala antara kedua-dua negara-negara yang telah memberikan peluang di kalangan anggota tentera untuk mendalami interaksi dan pertukaran pengetahuan profesional mereka.
Sebagai sebahagian daripada program lawatan mereka, rombongan Australia juga berpeluang untuk melawat Markas Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei dan Akademi Pertahanan ABDB. Pihak rombongan juga membuat kunjungan hormat kepada Pemerintah ABDB, Mejar Jeneral Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, dan Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pertahanan, Kepten (B) Dato Paduka Abd Rahman bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, TLDB.
JKPB di antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Australia telah ditubuhkan melalui Memorandum Persefahaman (MoU) mengenai Kerjasama Pertahanan di antara Kerajaan Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Kerajaan Australia yang ditandatangani pada 10 Mei 1999. MoU berkenaan berfungsi sebagai rangka kerja untuk memupuk hubungan pertahanan dan kerjasama yang lebih erat di antara kementerian pertahanan dan angkatan tentera kedua-dua negara, seperti kursus dan latihan, eksesais ketenteraan, pertukaran maklumat mengenai perkara-perkara yang berkaitan dengan keselamatan, kelengkapan pertahanan, dan pertukaran lawatan di antara pegawai-pegawai pertahanan dan tentera masing-masing.