India-Brunei Hold First JWG on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi

The inaugural meeting of India-Brunei Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation took place in New Delhi on December 9, marking a significant milestone in advancing the bilateral partnership between the two nations. Key areas that were discussed include expansion of military-to-military exchanges and joint training, maritime security collaboration, with focus on safety of sea lanes and humanitarian assistance & disaster relief, capacity building, opportunities for defence industry collaboration and technology cooperation.

The meeting was co-chaired by joint secretary, ministry of defence Amitabh Prasad and deputy permanent secretary, ministry of defence, Brunei, Poh Kui Choon. Prior to the meeting, the co-chairs signed the terms of reference (ToR) for the establishment of JWG on defence cooperation.

The signing of the ToR marked the beginning of a new era of bilateral defence cooperation. The JWG serves as a constructive platform to review ongoing defence engagements and explore new avenues for cooperation.

Both sides welcomed the growing momentum in the defence partnership and agreed to implement a structured roadmap for cooperation under the JWG mechanism. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.

The visiting deputy permanent secretary also called on defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi. Poh Kui Choon also visited DPSU Bhawan.