BOLKIAH GARRISON, Tuesday, 15 October 2019 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd. Yussof, Second Minister of Defence, received two separate calls today.
In the morning, Second Minister of Defence received a farewell call from Colonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong, Lao PDR Non-Resident Defence Attaché to Brunei Darussalam.
During the call, both sides expressed pleasure at the warm and cordial bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and Lao PDR, including in defence and military sectors. Colonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong had also expressed his appreciation in particular for the conduct of the Basic English Language Course organised by the Royal Brunei Armed Forces early this year.
Colonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong was accredited as the Defence Attaché of Lao PDR to Brunei Darussalam, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with effect from 2 June 2016. He will conclude his duties as Defence Attaché at the end of October 2019.
In the afternoon, the Second Minister of Defence received an introductory call from Captain Yannick Hubert Rest, France Non-Resident Defence Attaché to Brunei Darussalam.
During the call, both sides highlighted the warm and cordial bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and Republic of France since the establishment of diplomatic relations on 8 May 1984 including in the field of defence. The bilateral defence relations has been actively enhanced through various avenues including regular exchange of visits, attendance to exhibitions, training and courses as well as the conduct of the annual Joint Defence Working Committee meetings. Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the good relationship and expressed hope to explore other potential avenues of bilateral defence cooperation in the future.
Captain Yannick Hubert Rest, who is based in Singapore, was accredited as the Defence Attaché of France to Brunei Darussalam with effect from 11 August 2019.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd. Yussof , Second Minister of Defence received a farewell call from Colonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong, Lao PDR Non-Resident Defence Attaché to Brunei Darussalam
Second Minister of Defence received an introductory call from Captain Yannick Hubert Rest, France Non-Resident Defence Attaché to Brunei Darussalam
MENTERI PERTAHANAN KEDUA TERIMA KUNJUNGAN HORMAT DARIPADA ATASE PERTAHANAN LAOS DAN PERANCIS KE NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
BOLKIAH GARISON, Selasa, 15 Oktober 2019 – Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Mejar Jeneral (Bersara) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd. Yussof, Menteri Pertahanan Kedua hari ini menerima dua kunjungan hormat.
Di sebelah pagi, Menteri Pertahanan Kedua menerima kunjungan perpisahan daripada Kolonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong, Atase Pertahanan Republik Demokratik Rakyat Lao (tidak menetap) ke Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Semasa kunjungan tersebut, kedua-belah pihak telah menyatakan rasa berpuas hati atas hubungan baik antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Republik Demokratik Rakyat Lao, termasuk dalam bidang pertahanan dan ketenteraan. Kolonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong juga telah merakamkan penghargaan bagi pihak Republik Demokratik Rakyat Lao atas pelaksanaan kursus asas Bahasa Inggeris yang dianjurkan oleh Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei pada awal tahun ini.
Kolonel Keosouvanh Phangphilavong telah diakreditasikan sebagai Atase Pertahanan Republik Demokratik Rakyat Lao (menetap di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) ke Negara Brunei Darussalam mulai 2 Jun 2016. Beliau akan mengakhiri tugas sebagai Atase Pertahanan pada penghujung bulan Oktober 2019.
Di sebelah petang, Menteri Pertahanan Kedua menerima kunjungan pengenalan daripada Kapten Yannick Hubert Rest, Atase Pertahanan Perancis (tidak menetap) ke Negara Brunei Darussalam.
Semasa kunjungan tersebut, kedua pihak menekankan hubungan dua hala yang baik dan mesra antara Negara Brunei Darussalam dan Perancis sejak penubuhan hubungan dipliomatik pada 8 Mei 1984 termasuk di bidang pertahanan. Hubungan pertahanan dua hala yang aktif ini telah diperkukuhkan melalui pelbagai mekanisme termasuk pertukaran lawatan, kehadiran ke pameran-pameran pertahanan di kedua negara, latihan dan kursus-kursus dan melalui mesyuarat dua hala Jawatankuasa Kerja Bersama Pertahanan. Kedua-dua pihak mengesahkan komitmen masing-masing untuk mengekalkan hubungan baik tersebut dan menyatakan harapan untuk meneroka lebih banyak landasan kerjasama pertahanan di antara kedua negara di masa akan datang.
Kapten Yannick Hubert Rest telah diakreditasikan sebagai Atase Pertahanan Perancis (menetap di Singapura) ke Negara Brunei Darussalam mulai 11 Ogos 2019.