PM Modi’s Historic Brunei Visit: Key Highlights and Updates

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. This visit also coincides with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Brunei. Following Brunei, PM Modi will travel to Singapore as part of his two-nation tour.

Here are the top 10 updates from PM Modi’s visit:

1. On the second day of his tour, PM Modi met Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the second-longest reigning monarch in the world and was once the richest person globally.
2. In a social media post, PM Modi expressed delight at meeting the Sultan and discussed plans to strengthen bilateral ties, including expanding trade, commercial linkages, and people-to-people exchanges.
3. The two leaders focused on cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, industry, pharmaceuticals, health, technology, and cyber security. They also discussed space cooperation, including satellite development and remote sensing.
4. PM Modi and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had previously met on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit in Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014 and during the 2017 East Asia Summit in Manila.
5. The visit underscores the 40-year relationship between India and Brunei, with discussions covering defense, trade, investment, energy, space technology, and health. Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed.
6. The Sultan hosted PM Modi for a lavish banquet lunch at the Istana Nurul Iman Palace, the world’s largest palace, which features 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and 44 staircases, all made from 38 types of marble.
7. After the lunch, PM Modi will depart for Singapore. Upon arrival, he is scheduled to meet with the Indian community in Singapore and be hosted for dinner by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
8. During his Brunei visit, PM Modi also toured the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, a renowned landmark, and inaugurated the new Chancery of the Indian High Commission in Brunei.
9. Additionally, PM Modi interacted with local officials, scholars, and the Indian community, who came out in large numbers to greet him.

This visit highlights the strengthening ties between India and Brunei and sets the stage for further collaboration in various key sectors.