New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-day visit to Brunei and Singapore today. Briefing the media in New Delhi yesterday, Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar said, the Prime Minister is travelling to Brunei at the invitation of Brunei’s Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and the visit is scheduled for today and tomorrow. He said, this would be the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. The visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will engage in bilateral discussions on all aspects of India- Brunei bilateral relations and also explore new areas for cooperation. Bilateral engagements cover multiple areas such as Defence, Trade and Investment, Energy, Space technology, Health, Capacity Building, Culture and vibrant people-to-people exchanges. The Indian diaspora in Brunei is about 14,000 and they comprise a substantial number of doctors and teachers. India has received valuable support from Brunei in its space program, with three MoUs with Brunei in this area. Defence is another important pillar in the bilateral cooperation. Brunei is an important partner for India’s Act East Policy and the vision for the Indo-Pacific.
On the second leg of his tour, the Prime Minister will visit Singapore on September 4th and 5th at the invitation of his counterpart, Lawrence Wong. The leaders will review the progress of the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister Modi is visiting Singapore after nearly six years. India has robust defence cooperation with Singapore, and trade and investment flows have shown steady growth. Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in ASEAN and a leading source of foreign direct investment.
