| James Kon |
BRUNEI Darussalam and the Republic of Singapore reaffirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral defence ties of both countries during an official visit by Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof to Singapore, upon invitation by Singapore Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi’s visit commenced on Monday with a courtesy call on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. They expressed deep satisfaction with the state of bilateral relations, particularly in the field of defence.
The day after, the Brunei Minister called on Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Singapore Ministry of Defence. Prior to the courtesy call, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi inspected the guard of honour mounted by personnel of the Singapore Armed Forces.
During the courtesy call, both ministers reaffirmed the excellent long-standing bilateral defence ties between Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. They also exchanged views on a range of security issues, highlighting the growing importance of working closely together to address these challenges.
Discussions were also held regarding Singapore’s chairmanship of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), with Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi expressing Brunei’s whole-hearted support for the ADMM and ADMM-Plus meetings scheduled for October.
The Brunei Minister also had the opportunity to meet key political figures and senior officials of Singapore on the sidelines of the visit. They included Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman, and Deputy Secretary (Special Projects) David Koh Tee Hian.
On the last day of his visit, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi will tour the Singapore Air Force’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Command, and a cybersecurity facility.
