By Siti Diana Othman
Bolkiah Garrison, Wednesday 31 January 2013 –The 3rd Defence Policy Dialogue between the Ministry of Defence from Brunei Darussalam and Republic of Singapore that took place commencing 29 – 31 January 2013 in Brunei Darussalam, saw both sides reaffirming their commitments to strengthen further the defence ties between the two countries.
The Dialogue discussion that took place yesterday (30 January) at the Officers’ Mess in Bolkiah Garrison, Ministry of Defence was co-chaired by Colonel (R) Pg Dato Paduka Haji Azmansham bin Pg Haji Mohamad, Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development), Ministry of Defence of Brunei Darussalam, and Mr. Chiang Chie Foo, Permanent Secretary (Defence), Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Singapore. The meeting was also attended by senior military and civilian officials from both sides.
The meeting discussed the progress and areas to further strengthen bilateral defence relations. Both sides also shared and exchanged views on regional security as well as Brunei Darussalam's ASEAN and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meetings Chairmanship 2013.
The Singaporean delegation also had a courtesy call with Deputy Minister of Defence Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat.
As part of their visit itinerary in Brunei Darussalam, they had the opportunity to visit the Royal Brunei Navy Headquarters in Muara.
The annual Defence Policy Dialogue between Brunei Darussalam and Republic of Singapore is aimed at fostering defence cooperation through discussion, information sharing and exploring new areas of practical cooperation, particularly at the strategic level.
The Dialogue was first held in 2009 in Brunei Darussalam. The next Defence Policy Dialogue will be held in the Republic of Singapore.