Top land forces military officials from the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region will meet in Bangladesh next week for the 38th Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PAMS), a multinational military seminar.
Bangladesh is set to co-host PAMS 38, for the second time in the history of the event. Earlier in January 1994, Bangladesh co-hosted the PAMS seminar with over 150 representatives from 35 countries attending.
With the theme “A New Focus on the Asia-Pacific Region: Opportunities and Challenges for Land Forces”, this year’s seminar will focus on exploring new areas of cooperation. Nearly 120 delegates from 25 countries will discuss contemporary issues of common concern at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel from September 14 to 17.
The multinational military seminar, which began in 1978 with a meeting of the top army staff of nine nations, is now a platform for 36 nations from the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region.
Since its inception, PAMS has played a significant role in strengthening bonds among the region’s armies.
Senior officials ranked between Lieutenant Colonel and Lieutenant General are scheduled to attend the seminar organised by the Bangladesh Army in cooperation with US Army Pacific (USARPAC).
The two land forces are organising the seminar to contribute to regional security and stability through cooperative approaches including the exchange of information, said military directorate sources.
Bangladesh Army will demonstrate its military capabilities, along with showcasing the richness of the country’s people, their culture and history to the attendees.
At the programme this year, presentations and panel discussions by academics, senior diplomats, civil society members and selected delegates will be presented, sources said, adding that military officials will discuss security issues while civil society members and academicians will discuss the surrounding perspectives.
The four key topics to be discussed at PAMS 38 are: balancing the requirements to meet traditional and non-traditional threats, building the response capacity of Land Forces for issues of environmental security, developing the cooperation and interoperability concepts for non-traditional security, and civil-military and multinational co-operation.
The participating countries are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Tonga, United States of America, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.
Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and Commanding General of US Army Pacific General Vincent K Brooks are scheduled to open the three-day programme.
