| Azrol Azmi |
HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), received in audience Rear Admiral Denis Bertrand, Joint Commander Armed Forces in French Polynesia and Commander of the French Polynesian and Pacific Maritime Zones, at the Istana Nurul Iman yesterday.
Present at the ceremony were Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Defence II; Major General Pengiran Dato Seri Pahlawan Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, Commander of the RBAF; and Christian Ramage, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Brunei Darussalam.
Defence and military relations between the two countries were significantly enhanced when the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Defence Matters and on Defence Equipment was signed on February 25, 1999.
Recently, the 12th Joint Defence Working Committee (JDWC) meeting was held between the senior officials of both countries where matters on advancing bilateral defence cooperation were deliberated. The friendship between the two countries was further highlighted with the goodwill visit by French frigate Vendemiaire to Brunei Darussalam from March 7-9. The visit by Rear Admiral Denis Bertrand aimed to further strengthen the defence and military cooperation between the two countries.
