English language course for ASEAN armed forces ends in Brunei

A two-month English course for ASEAN armed forces has been concluded at the Training Institute, Royal Brunei Armed Forces (TI RBAF), the Defense Ministry said Friday.

The main objective of this course is to instill confidence and improve the ability, skills and proficiency of the participants in using English language as a communicationtool through writing, reading and speaking effectively. The course is also part of Brunei's continuous efforts to enhance bilateral relations and defense diplomacy with its neighbors, said the ministry.

This is the fifth time the course was conducted by TI RBAF since its inception in 2010. Initially, the course was attended by foreign military personnel from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and the Lao People's Army.

However, the number of participating countries has increased due to the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Defense and RBAF in enhancing friendship between ASEAN countries and partners towards the realization of the ASEAN Community 2015.

The Defense Ministry said this was evidenced since the participation of three soldiers from the Vietnamese armed forces in 2011; two civil servants from Indonesia's Ministry of Defense in 2012; and two personnel from Myanmar armed forces and the Royal Thai armed forces in 2013. This clearly shows an impressive improvement because out of the 10 ASEAN countries, the course has successfully engaged six countries to come to Brunei Darussalam to learn English.

The English Language Course for the Friendly Armed Forces Session 2014 started onAug. 18, 2014 and ended on Oct. 10, 2014. It included 30 participants ranging from warrant officers to senior officers of six armed forces from the ASEAN nations. Each country was represented by five personnel.

Speaking on behalf of the course participants, Lieutenant Colonel Asep Nurdin from the Indonesian national armed forces, expressed his appreciation to the RBAF especially the TI RBAF for hosting the course and giving them an opportunity to study English in Brunei Darussalam. It was a highly valuable opportunity not only focused on academic achievements but also an initiative in sharing the cultures from their ASEAN counterparts, hence bridging the gap among the ASEAN countries, he said.

He expressed the hope that the good relations that exist among the participants will remain beyond the course.