AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, Wednesday 16 November 2016 – The Eleventh Meeting of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting – Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security (11th ADMM-Plus EWG on MS) was held on 13 to 16 November 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand. This meeting is the fourth and final meeting in its cycle 2014-2016 under the co-chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand.
The 11th ADMM-Plus EWG on MS was co-chaired by Mrs. Charlotte Beaglehole, Head of International Branch, Ministry of Defence New Zealand and Captain Haji Othman bin Haji Suhaili, RBN, Deputy Commander of the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN).
The 11th EWG Meeting acknowledged the success of the recent ADMM-Plus Combined EWG Field Training Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism; in which the exercise took place on the 02 – 12 May 2016, co-hosted by Brunei Darussalam and Republic of Singapore. In addition to that, the meeting received reports on the outcomes of recent activities and progress of future events related to maritime security, as well as discussing the transition of the Co-Chairmanship from Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand to Republic of Singapore and Republic of Korea. Further initiatives for the new work plan from 2017 – 2019 were tabled and discussed to keep the positive momentum of the remarkable progress that has been reached so far.
The 11th EWG Meeting dovetailed with the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise (MS FTX) also dubbed as Exercise Mahi Tangaroa ’16, held at the Hauraki Gulf of the coast of Auckland. Ex Mahi Tangaroa ’16 marks the culmination of the ADMM-Plus EWG on Maritime Security for the cycle of 2014 – 2016. The ADMM-Plus delegation had the opportunity to observe the exercise from onboard HMNZS CANTERBURY.
The delegation observed boarding demonstrations by participating naval forces from the ADMM-Plus countries including Communication and Surveillance drills. The exercise has witnessed not just the involvement of assets from the ADMM-Plus member countries but as well as the establishment of a Combined Battle Staff; whereby 4 RBN officers were given the privileged to hold several appointments within the Combined Staff Headquarters, including Commander Sahibul Bahari bin Haji Zainal Abidin, as Co-Exercise Director (Co-Exdir) of the exercise.
The meeting was followed by a handing over of the Co-Chairs of the ADMM-Plus EWG on Maritime Security; Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand to Republic of Singapore and Republic of Korea, who will be the Co-Chairs for the next cycle 2017-2019.
