LUANG PRABANG, LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, Friday, 04 November 2022 – Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohammad Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) Commander attended the 19th ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference (AACC) from 03 November 2022 to 05 November 2022 hosted by the Air Force Command, Lao People’s Army. The event was conducted in the city of Luang Prabang. Accompanying the RBAirF Commander were his spouse, Datin Noraidah bte Haji Ibrahim, the Staff Officer Grade 2 for Intelligence and Security and Staff Officer Grade 3 of the RBAirF Commander’s Secretariat.
The RBAirF Commander started off the event with conducting bilateral talks with all the ASEAN Air Chiefs and representatives who attended the conference. During the talks, the RBAirF Commander reiterated the importance of maintaining bilateral relations and exploring more opportunities for engagement such as exchange programs, air working groups and subject matter expert exchanges for the purpose of building confidence and mutual trust between the ASEAN Air Forces.
The ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference, with the theme of ‘Together for the Peace and Stability of ASEAN’, started with opening remarks and adoption of agenda presided by the host and chairman, Brigadier General Khamlek Sengpachan, the Chief of Air Force Command, Lao People’s Army. This was followed by the report on the outcome of the 9th ASEAN Air Forces Education and Training. The highlight of the event was the exchange of remarks by the ASEAN Air Chiefs. In his presentation, the RBAirF Commander highlighted on the importance of resuming engagements and interactions that were impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. He also iterated the importance of ASEAN centrality and unity in the face of multiple traditional and non-traditional security threats. In response to these challenges, it is noted that the ASEAN Air Forces embark on capability development, but it is also critical that these projects are carried out for the sake of regional stability and issues such as unwanted air encounters and operational safety are considered. The event was then followed by the adoption and signing of the 19th AACC minutes before the chairman delivered his closing remarks. The event concluded with the handing over of the AACC chairmanship to General Htun Aung, the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Air Force, who will host the 20th AACC in Myanmar next year.
The ASEAN Air Chiefs were also given the opportunity to conduct a group courtesy call to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Chansamone Chanyalath. General Chansamone emphasized on the pertinent role played by the regional air forces and the importance of maintaining regional stability.
The ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference is an annual conference attended by all the ASEAN Air Chiefs on a basis of rotational chairmanship. As per standard procedure, the ASEAN Air Force Education and Training (AAFET) precedes the AACC as the working group level discussions. The AACC is where ASEAN Air Force Chiefs convene to discuss matters of bilateral and multilateral engagements, way forward, pertinent security issues and initiatives.
PEMERINTAH TUDB MENGHADIRI PERSIDANGAN ASEAN AIR CHIEFS KALI KE-19
LUANG PRABANG, REPUBLIK DEMOKRATIK RAKYAT LAO, Juma’at, 04 November 2022 – Brigedier Jeneral (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohammad Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Pemerintah Tentera Udara Diraja Brunei (TUDB) telah menghadiri Persidangan ASEAN Air Chiefs (AACC) kali ke-19 pada 03 November 2022 hingga 05 November 2022 yang dihoskan oleh Air Force Command, Lao People’s Army. Acara ini dikendalikan di Bandar Luang Prabang. Turut bersama menghadiri persidangan tersebut adalah isteri kepada Pemerintah TUDB, Datin Noraidah bte Haji Ibrahim, Timbalan Pegawai Turus Perisikan dan Sekuriti serta Penolong Pegawai Turus di Urusetia Pemerintah TUDB.
Pemerintah TUDB memulakan acara tersebut dengan mengendalikan perjumpaan dua hala bersama kesemua pemerintah serta perwakilan tentera-tentera udara yang hadir ke persidangan tersebut. Semasa sesi-sesi perjumpaan Pemerintah TUDB menekankan kepentingan mengekalkan hubungan dua hala serta meneroka peluang-peluang kerjasama untuk berinteraksi seperti program pertukaran, kelompok kerja udara (KKU) dan subject matter expert exchanges untuk membina kepercayaan dan keyakinan di antara tentera-tentera udara ASEAN.
Dengan bertemakan ‘Together for the Peace and Stability of ASEAN’, Persidangan AACC dimulakan dengan ucapan pembukaan serta penetapan agenda mesyuarat yang dipengerusikan oleh hos dan pengerusi persidangan, Brigedier Jeneral Khamlek Sengpachan, Pemerintah Air Force Command, Lao People’s Army. Ini diteruskan laporan hasil dari Mesyuarat 9th ASEAN Air Forces Education and Training (AAFET). Kemuncak persidangan adalah ucapan dari kesemua Pemerintah serta wakil yang hadir. Dalam pembentangan beliau, Pemerintah TUDB menekankan kepentingan meneruskan interaksi yang telah terjejas oleh Pandemik COVID-19. Beliau juga mengutarakan keutamaan kesatuan dan keteguhan ASEAN menghadapi pelbagai ancaman security. Sebagai respon terhadap cabaran-cabaran tersebut, telah diambil maklum bahawa tentera-tentera udara ASEAN membuat perkembangan keupayaan masing-masing, namun ianya adalah penting bagi projek-projek dikendalikan untuk kepentingan kestabilan serantau dan isu-isu seperti unwanted air encounters serta keselamatan operasi harus dipertimbangkan. Acara diteruskan lagi dengan penetapan dan menandatangani minit AACC dan diikuti dengan ucapan penutup oleh pengerusi. Acara diakhiri dengan sesi serah terima pengerusi AACC kepada Jeneral Htun Aung, Pemerintah Tentera Udara Myanmar yang akan menghoskan AACC edisi ke-20 pada tahun hadapan.
Pemerintah-pemerintah tentera udara juga turut berpeluang untuk membuat Kunjungan Hormat secara berkumpulan kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pertahanan Nasional, Jeneral Chansamone Chanyalath. Jeneral Chanyalath menyatakan tentang peranan penting yang dimainkan oleh tentera-tentera udara serantau serta keperluan untuk mengekalkan kestabilan rantau ini.
Persidangan ASEAN Air Chiefs ini adalah persidangan tahunan yang dihadiri oleh kesemua pemerintah tentera-tentera udara ASEAN yang dipengerusikan secara bergilir. Mengikut prosedur yang lazim, persidangan AAFET akan dikendalikan sebelum AACC, dimana AAFET merupakan ruang bagi perbincangan kelompok kerja. AACC adalah platform bagi pemerintah-pemerintah tentera udara ASEAN bersidang bagi membincangkan hal-hal dua hala dan pelbagai hala, perancangan di masa hadapan, isu-isu sekuriti yang penting dan inisiatif-inisiatif yang lain.
