PM Modi Meets Brunei Sultan
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a historic state visit to Brunei, marking the first ever bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister to the southeast Asian nation. Following his visit to Brunei, PM Modi will travel to Singapore as part of a two-nation tour.
Here are the top 10 updates from PM Modi’s two-nation state visit:
On the second day of the tour, PM Modi met the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The Sultan is the second-longest reigning monarch in the world after the late Queen Elizabeth II and has an estimated net worth of around $30 billion, making him one of the wealthiest individuals globally.
- PM Modi expressed his delight at meeting His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, stating that their discussions were wide-ranging and included ways to further cement bilateral ties between the two nations. He emphasized the expansion of trade ties, commercial linkages, and people-to-people exchanges.
- The prime minister highlighted that the two countries will focus on mutual cooperation in agriculture, industry, pharmaceuticals, health, technology, and cybersecurity. They also agreed on satellite development, remote sensing, and training in the field of space, with plans to establish direct connectivity between the two countries soon.
- PM Modi and the Brunei Sultan had previously met on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit in Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014 and again during the 2017 East Asia Summit in Manila.
- The prime minister’s historic visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei.
- The prime minister and the Sultan engaged in bilateral discussions focusing on areas of cooperation such as defence, trade and investment, energy, space technology, and health. The two nations are also expected to sign several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
- PM Modi will be hosted by the Sultan for a banquet lunch at his official residence, the Istana Nurul Iman Palace, which is the world’s largest palace and holds the Guinness World Record with its 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and 44 staircases made of 38 kinds of marble.
- After lunch, PM Modi will depart for Singapore. Upon his arrival, he will meet members of the Indian community there before being hosted for dinner by his counterpart, PM Lawrence Wong.
- On Tuesday, PM Modi visited the renowned Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Brunei, considered one of the most iconic structures in the region. He also inaugurated the new Chancery of the Indian High Commission in Brunei.
- PM Modi interacted with local officials, scholars, and members of the Indian community who had gathered in large numbers.
