Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set off on a significant two-nation tour, starting with a historic visit to Brunei and followed by Singapore. This marks the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei as both nations celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations. The visit is expected to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including defense, trade, and technology.
Upon departing, the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the importance of this visit, stating, “PM @narendramodi takes off for Bandar Seri Begawan, the first destination of his 2-Nation visit to Brunei and Singapore. This is the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian PM to Brunei.”
In a statement before his departure, Prime Minister Modi expressed his anticipation, saying, “Today, I am embarking on a first-ever bilateral visit to Brunei Darussalam. As we celebrate the 40 years of our diplomatic relations, I look forward to my meetings with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and other esteemed members of the Royal family to advance our historical relationship to new heights.”
Following his engagements in Brunei, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to Singapore on September 4. There, he is scheduled to meet with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. His visit aims to deepen the strategic partnership between India and Singapore, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the significance of these nations within India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision, expressing confidence that the visits will further strengthen ties with Brunei, Singapore, and the broader ASEAN region.
The Significance of PM Modi’s Visit to Brunei
During his visit to Brunei, Prime Minister Modi will engage in discussions covering all aspects of bilateral relations, with an emphasis on exploring new areas of cooperation. The Ministry of External Affairs noted that India and Brunei share a warm and friendly relationship, with collaborations spanning defense, trade, investment, energy, space, technology, health, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
Brunei is home to around 14,000 Indians, many of whom are engaged in noble professions such as medicine and education. The Indian community has earned respect and goodwill for their contributions to Brunei’s economy and society. India has also received valuable support from Brunei in its space program, with a telemetry tracking and command station established in Brunei in 2000 to monitor eastward satellite launches.
Defense cooperation is another crucial pillar of the India-Brunei relationship. An MoU on defense, signed in 2016 and renewed in 2021, provides a framework for collaboration, including high-level exchanges, naval and coast guard visits, training, joint exercises, and participation in exhibitions.
Diplomatic relations between India and Brunei were established on May 10, 1984, with the Indian mission in Brunei being set up on May 18, 1993. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the first Indian leader to visit Brunei in 2013 during the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit. PM Modi and Sultan Bolkiah first met in 2014 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar.
PM Modi’s Visit to Singapore
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Singapore follows a series of high-level meetings between senior ministers from both countries. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently participated in productive discussions at the second multi-ministerial roundtable, exploring avenues for enhancing cooperation in digital technology, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing.
Majumdar, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized the significance of the visit, stating, “Our trade and investment flows have shown steady growth, we have robust defense cooperation, growing exchanges in culture and education, and we have identified new anchors of our partnership under the India-Singapore Ministerial Round Table framework.”
PM Modi’s visit to Singapore, his first in six years, is expected to further solidify the strategic partnership between the two nations, with a focus on strengthening ties in emerging sectors and reinforcing the long-standing cooperation that has characterized India-Singapore relations.
