HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), consented to receive in audience the Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, General Sir David Richards, at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday afternoon.

Accompanying General Sir David Richards were the Commander of the RBAF, Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, and the British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, Robert Dominic Russell Fenn.

Brunei Darussalam and the United Kingdom first established defence bilateral cooperation through the Exchange of Notes in September 1983. Since then, a number of Memorandum of Understandings have been signed, which further enhanced the defence cooperation between the two countries.

The three-day official visit by General Sir David Richards aims to further strengthen the friendly rela-tionship and extend the importance of bilateral military cooperation of both armies.

Also present at the audience were Dato Paduka Haji Hamdan bin Haji Abu Bakar, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Colonel (Rtd) Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Azmansham bin Pengiran Haji Mohamad, Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development) at the Ministry of Defence.

The audience took place at Istana Nurul Iman. - Borneo Bulletin (9 June 2013)