Brunei workshop focuses on region’s defence

Permanent Secretary (Policy, Finance and Administration) at the MinDef Colonel (Rtd) Norsuriati Sharbini and Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policy and Strategy) at the MinDef Adi Ihram Mahmud at the workshop. - BB

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Brunei feels strongly the need to look towards the future of the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), to ensure that the ADMM is ready, resilient and adaptable, while ensuring the defence sector’s continued support for the wider Asean Community.

The Permanent Secretary (Policy, Finance and Administration) at the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) Colonel (Rtd) Norsuriati Sharbini in her capacity as Brunei Darussalam Asean Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) leader siad this at a two-day workshop on ‘A Future-Ready Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM): A Strategy Paper’ on Wednesday (Oct 26).

This sentiment, she added, underpins all that the strategy paper hopes to achieve; a clear trajectory for the ADMM for the years to come and as of Oct 21, 2022, amid a rapidly changing strategic landscape, but not without ensuring the collective voices of Asean member states (AMS) as well as the Asean Secretariat.

In her opening remarks, Colonel (Rtd) Norsuriati expressed hope the workshop will reach a satisfactory outcome with a cohesive and substantive strategy paper reflective of the joint commitment and endeavour to uphold the prominence of the ADMM.

This will act as a platform that binds the region’s defence cooperation for many more years to come.

“As this year’s ADMM is themed ‘Solidarity for Harmonised Security’, I am pleased that much of our work continues to reaffirm the importance ADMM as a platform that upholds Asean unity amid a changing regional landscape.”

She added that “it is crucial that with growing challenges we reiterate the steadfast commitment towards strengthening the ADMM’s defence cooperation towards ensuring the peace, prosperity and stability of this region”.

Chaired by Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policy and Strategy) at the MinDef Adi Ihram Mahmud in his capacity as Brunei Darussalam ADSOM Working Group (ADSOM WG) Leader, participants comprised delegates from AMS and the Asean Secretariat.

It also saw the virtual participation of guest speaker Professor David Capie from Victoria University, New Zealand.

The workshop aims to conduct in-depth discussions from delegates on the future of ADMM, done through discussions on the platform in the current strategic context while also reviewing the ADMM’s mechanisms towards strengthening the Asean defence sector’s contributions to the wider Asean Community.

Delegates will also discuss on the future of the ADMM through recommendations on the way forward for the platform in support of the Asean Community’s Post-2025 Vision during the workshop.

The strategy paper follows the stocktaking paper on the ADMM and ADMM-Plus, which was noted by the 15th ADMM last year under Brunei Darussalam’s Chairmanship of the ADMM.

The workshop served to enable AMS and the Asean Secretariat to gather and collectively contribute to the strategy paper through substantial discussion where Brunei Darussalam intends to table the strategy paper for the ADSOM WG’s consideration next year under Indonesia’s Chairmanship of the ADMM.

The workshop concluded on Thursday.