| Hakim Hayat |
DEFENCE Ministers from the region reiterated their commitment in boosting cooperation, undertaking measures to combat terrorism and maintaining peace in the region at the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 5th ADMM-Plus that concluded in Singapore yesterday.
Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof represented Brunei Darussalam.
At the 12th ADMM, ASEAN Defence Ministers endorsed five concept papers and signed the Joint Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation, Building Resilience.
Three separate informal meetings with People’s Republic of China, United States of America and Japan followed the 12th ADMM.
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi also held bilateral meetings with several ASEAN and ASEAN-Plus counterparts during the meeting.
During the 5th ADMM-Plus, the Defence Ministers adopted the Joint Statement on Preventing and Countering the Threat of Terrorism, showcasing ADMM-Plus’ commitment to step up practical cooperation and undertake effective measures to counter terrorism. The meeting also adopted Joint Statement on Practical Confidence-Building Measures to signal the ADMM-Plus’ commitment to reducing risks of miscalculation for the peace and stability of the region.
The 5th ADMM-Plus concluded with a Chairmanship Handover ceremony from Singapore to Thailand. Thailand will take the helm of ASEAN Chairmanship in 2019.
An ADMM-Plus Leaders’ Lunch hosted by Singapore’s Acting Prime Minister/Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Teo Chee Hean was also held on the sidelines.
Ministry of Defence (MinDef) said Brunei Darussalam’s continued participation at the ADMM and ADMM-Plus demonstrates the importance of defence diplomacy as well as its commitment to regional stability and security through multilateral engagements within ASEAN. This year marked the second time Republic of Singapore’s hosting it since ADMM was established in 2006.
