SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Monday 25th November 2019 – The 13th ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting (ANCM), hosted by the Royal Cambodian Navy, was held in Sokha Angkor Resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 25th to 27th November 2019, provides a platform for ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ to convene and engage with one another in strengthening and enhancing cooperative defence ties.
The meeting was attended by ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Republic of Singapore, Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Representing Negara Brunei Darussalam was First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Othman bin Haji Suhaili @ Suhaily, Commander of Royal Brunei Navy (RBN). The Commander of RBN was accompanied by his spouse, Datin Nazatulshima binti C. A. Mohd, Commander Sonny Iskandar bin Rasani and Lieutenant Junior Grade Muhammad Akhmal bin Mohd Akbal.
The meeting discussed various ideas and initiatives in maintaining multilateral and bilateral strategic partnerships, the conduct of activities aimed in enhancing practical cooperation and confidence-building measures on a multiplex, multilateral level. The meeting also entailed discussions on upcoming initiatives, prospective meetings as well as pressing challenges to the maritime domain such as transnational crimes, terrorism and natural disasters, in line with the 13th ANCM theme, “Enhancing Cooperation for Sustainable Security at Sea.”
The Commander of RBN made a Courtesy Call to the Cambodia’s Minister of National Defence, General Samdech Tea Banh and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodia Armed Forces (RCAF), Commander of Royal Cambodian Navy and Secretary Generals of National Committee for Maritime Security (NCMS) respectively. Commander of RBN also engaged bilateral meetings with the Navy Chief’s from RCN, Royal Thai Navy and Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) respectively.
ANCM was first held in 2001 in Thailand, which designed to allow ASEAN Navy Chief’s to meet and discuss common challenges, how to address these issues and ultimately find solutions for them. The 14th ANCM will be held in 2020, hosted by Vietnam People’s Navy.
