India, Brunei hold first joint working group meeting on defence cooperation

New Delhi, Dec 9: India and Brunei held the inaugural meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi on Tuesday, marking a key step in strengthening their bilateral defence partnership.

Co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in India’s Ministry of Defence, and Ms. Poh Kui Choon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Brunei’s Ministry of Defence, the meeting reviewed ongoing engagements and charted a roadmap for deeper cooperation.

Ahead of the discussions, both sides signed the Terms of Reference establishing the JWG, formally launching a new framework for structured defence dialogue. The meeting focused on expanding military-to-military exchanges, joint training, and maritime security collaboration—particularly the safety of sea lanes and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Capacity building, defence industry partnerships, and opportunities for technology cooperation were also key areas of discussion. Both sides welcomed the positive momentum in their defence ties and reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. During her two-day visit, Ms. Poh Kui Choon also called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and visited DPSU Bhawan, a new state-of-the-art facility that serves as a central hub for India’s 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings.