Bilateral Milestone: India & Brunei Hold First JWG Meeting On Defence Cooperation

New Delhi: India and Brunei on Tuesday held the inaugural meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in advancing the bilateral partnership between the two nations.

According to a government press release, key areas that were discussed during the meeting included expansion of military-to-military exchanges and joint training, maritime security collaboration, with focus on safety of sea lanes and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, capacity building, opportunities for defence industry collaboration and technology cooperation.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ministry of Defence Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Ministry of Defence of Brunei's Deputy Permanent Secretary Ms Poh Kui Choon. Before the commencement of the meeting, the co-chairs signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the establishment of JWG on defence cooperation.

The government of India said that the signing of the ToR marked the beginning of a new era of bilateral defence cooperation. The JWG is a platform to review ongoing defence engagements and explore new avenues for cooperation.

During the meeting, both the nations reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Both sides welcomed the growing momentum in the defence partnership and agreed to implement a structured roadmap for cooperation under the JWG mechanism,” the government of India said in a press release.

Poh Kui Choon also visited DPSU Bhawan which was recently inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi as a central hub for all 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings to foster collaboration, innovation and showcase India’s defence manufacturing capabilities to the world.

Also Read- 'Khaane-Peene Ka Programme Band Karo': Om Birla Catches Hungry MP Eating In Lok Sabha | WATCH