New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a historic state visit to Brunei, met His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and held bilateral talks to further strengthen the ties between the two nations. PM Modi’s Brunei visit marks the first ever bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister to the southeast Asian nation.
Sharing his experience of meeting the Sultan, PM posted pictures of their meeting on X.
PM Modi tweeted, “Delighted to meet His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Our talks were wide ranging and included ways to further cement bilateral ties between our nations. We are going to further expand trade ties, commercial linkages and people-to-people exchanges(sic).”
Calling their meeting ‘productive’, the PM said that his visit has ushered in a new era of even stronger India-Brunei ties. The PM expressed gratitude to the people of the southeast Asian nation for their affection. Notably, PM Modi received rousing welcome from Indian diaspora in Brunei.
“My visit to Brunei Darussalam was productive. It ushers in a new era of even stronger India-Brunei ties. Our friendship will contribute to a better planet. I am grateful to the people and Government of Brunei for their hospitality and affection(sic)”, PM Modi said in another tweet.
Here are the top 10 updates from PM Modi’s two-nation state visit:
On day 2 of the visit, PM Modi met the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, the second-longest reigning monarch in the world after the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Sultan who has an estimated net worth of around $30 billion, was once the world’s richest person.”Delighted to meet His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Our talks were wide ranging and included ways to further cement bilateral ties between our nations. We are going to further expand trade ties, commercial linkages and people-to-people exchanges,” tweeted PM Modi while sharing glimpses from their meeting.PM Modi and the Brunei Sultan had initially met on the sidelines of 25th ASEAN Summit at Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014 and then during the 2017 East Asia Summit which was held in Manila.PM’s historic tour coincides with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Brunei.The Prime Minister and the Sultan held bilateral talks covering wide range of areas of cooperation including defence, trade and investment, energy, space technology and health. The two countries are also expected to ink several MoUs.The PM was thereafter hosted by the Sultan for a banquet lunch at his official residence Istana Nurul Iman Palace. The Istana Nurul Iman Palace is the world’s largest palace with its name registered in Guinness World Records. It comprises of 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms and 44 staircases made of 38 kinds of marble.PM Modi is scheduled to depart for Singapore from Brunei today. 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, The prime minister also inaugurated the new Chancery of the Indian High Commission in Brunei.PM Modi also interacted with the local officials, scholars and members of the Indian diaspora who had gathered in large numbers to get a glimpse of him. ‘New Era of Stronger India-Brunei Ties’: ‘Delighted’ PM Modi Meets Sultan Bolkiah | Top Points world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World News Today
