By Major Suriyati Hj Junaidi
SINGAPORE, 17 - 19 February 2013 - The Deputy Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohd Tawih bin Abdullah attended the inauguration of the Fullerton Forum: The Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting series in Singapore on 17 – 19 February 2013. The Fullerton Forum was organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in support and preparation of the Shangri-La Dialogue process.
The forum is an avenue for the participants to express a wide range of opinions on various topics related to the key regional security concerns. More than 50 senior defence and government officials including non-governmental experts from universities, think-tanks, the media and the private sector from the Asia Pacific countries participated in the forum.
The IISS Fullerton Forum: The Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting forms part of an enhanced Shangri-La Dialogue process intended to help ensure that the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue remains at the forefront of defence diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region, where the policy ideas expressed at each Shangri-La Dialogue are fully examined as part of the growing IISS research programme on Asia-Pacific security.
During the forum, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces also had bilateral meetings with the Deputy Commander of the United States Pacific Command, the Deputy Chief of the Foreign Affairs Office, Ministry of National Defence China and the Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Japan Self Defence Force.