BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Wednesday 20 March 2013 – The 10th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting (10th ACDFIM) opens today in Brunei Darussalam, drawing the participation of representatives from all ten member countries.
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, as the 10th Chairman, in his opening speech by quoting His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah in conjunction with ASEAN Day 2012 said:
“We will be working together with our partners to do all we can to strengthen and deepen the feelings among the six hundred million people of our region that ASEAN offers them hope, confidence and purpose as they face the challenges and demands of the modern world.”
The RBAF Commander said that the meeting today with the theme “Securing Our People, Our Future Together” is an avenue for all of the ASEAN Chief of Defence Forces to come together and be inspired to realize the vision of their leaders, a commitment in synergizing respective contributions towards a more stable and secure Southeast Asia.
“As we head deeper into the 21st century, security challenges have become not only more complex, but also more interconnected than ever before, which then requires ASEAN to strengthen good governance and overcome instability in the political, economic and social spheres. We know that interests of ther major powers intersect in the Southeast Asian crossroads from the days of the spice trade through to the manifestation of the ASEAN Free Trade Areas (AFTA). And as more players come to lay in this region, the more balancing needs to be taken into account and considered in what is perceived by some observers as a fluid and diverse geopolitical landscape. In this light, I must say that the dynamics of our current regional security landscape have enhanced the importance of meetings such as today to strive towards a more resilient and adaptive form of cooperation,” said Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan.
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan seeks a stimulating and enriching discussion from this meeting that could add to newer chapters to the narrative of the ACDFIM in strengthening the military’s bloc as a more credible force of regional cooperation.
The meeting also heard reports on the 3rd ASEAN Military Operations Information Meeting (3rd AMOIM) and the 10th ASEAN Military Intelligence Informal Meeting (10th AMIIM). Prior to the end of the meeting this afternoon, the participant had discuss future activities, a two-year action plan and a joint statement of 10th ACDFIM and signed related documents as the Chief of Defence Force from Republic of the Union of Myanmar delivered his accepting address as chair for 11th ACDFIM in 2014.
Later in the day, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam had received the heads of delegations to the 10th ADCFIM.
