James Kon
Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof and Secretary of National Defence of the Philippines Delfin N Lorenzana reiterated their commitment to strengthen the existing bilateral defence and military relations, and to enhance cooperation in both defence and military sectors through various bilateral and multilateral platforms during a call yesterday.
Upon arrival at Bolkiah Garrison, Lorenzana was accorded with a guard of honour comprising personnel from the Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF).
Lorenzana also visited the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Museum as well as CAE Brunei’s Multi-Purpose Training Centre, where Philippines Air Force pilots have, and will be, trained.
Lorenzana was also invited to a deliver a talk to the 12th Command and Staff Course students at the Defence Academy RBAF, where he interacted with officers, including a course participant from the Philippines.
As part of his official visit, the Philippines defence secretary will also visit interesting and historical sites around the capital.
Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi and RBAF Commander Major General Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan also hosted him for dinner and lunch.
Beyond bilateral engagements, both sides also actively interact through multilateral engagements including under the ambit of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus meetings.
Lorenzana’s official visit is a reciprocal visit following Minister of Defence II’s official visit to the Philippines in 2019.
