Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to the South East Asian country Brunei on Tuesday. On reaching Brunei, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and said that he was happy to meet Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed many issues. Earlier, both of them met during the 25th summit in Napita in the year 2014. After the Brunei visit, the Prime Minister will visit Singapore on 4 and 5 September.
Expressing happiness over the visit to Brunei, PM Modi said that, I am very happy to get the opportunity to visit Brunei at the beginning of my third term. This year we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of our bilateral partnership. Brunei being an important partner in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision is a guarantee of a bright future for us.
Foreign Ministry Secretary Jaideep Mazumdar said about this visit that the Prime Minister’s visit is very important from the point of view of Act East Policy. The two heads of state will discuss in detail about the role of both countries in the energy, space and defense sectors. Let us tell you that the diplomatic relationship between India and Brunei is four decades old. The Prime Minister has chosen this country for his visit on this special occasion. The relationship between the two countries will be further strengthened by this two-day visit. Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1984. After this, the Indian Mission was established in Brunei Darussalam in the year 1993.
The High Commission of Brunei was established in India in 1992. If we talk about Brunei from the point of view of area, this country is smaller than the Sikkim state of Northeast India and the population of this country is also very less. The total population here is four and a half lakhs, out of which 14 thousand are Indians. Indians living here are very excited about the Prime Minister’s visit. If we talk about the economy of this country, it is mainly based on oil and gas. The monarchy system here is from the 14th century and currently the Sultan is Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Brunei is one of the smallest countries in the world. Brunei is also counted among the richest countries in the world. The Sultan of Brunei lives in the world’s most valuable palace, which was built in 1984. This palace is spread over 20 lakh square feet. The Sultan here is known for his high standard of living.
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The Sultan of Brunei is also fond of horses and luxury cars. He has 200 horses and more than 700 luxury cars, the cost of which is about 50 million dollars. Brunei is an Islamic country and ‘Islamic Sharia Law’ was implemented here in the year 2014. There is a provision of cutting off the leg even for crimes like theft and adultery. According to a law made in 2014, there was a provision of stoning for adultery and gay relations. Many people had criticized such a provision on the global platform, but the ruler of Brunei called it necessary in view of the current scenario.
Let us tell you that PM Modi visited Brunei on the invitation of Brunei Sultan Haji Hassan Al-Bolkiah. In 2024, 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be completed.
