On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora when he reached Brunei. People welcomed him at a hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan as slogans saying ‘Modi, Modi’ were chanted by people belonging to the Indian community.
One of the most heart-touching moments of the visit was witnessing the children mingle with PM Modi, and one even gave him a handdrawn-sketch. Modi signed the sketch, and this interaction has gone viral on social media in the form of a video.
Watch the video here:
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This is also the first bilateral visit undertaken by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. PM Modi had reached Brunei as part of a two-nation tour, the second leg being Singapore. During his visit, he said that he attaches a great deal with the ties between India and Brunei Darussalam.
This visit would look to reinforce ties on aspects like defense, trade, investment, energy, space technology, health, capacity building, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
PM Modi and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah first met at the 25th ASEAN Summit in Myanmar in November 2014 and again during the 2017 East Asia Summit in Manila.
After Brunei, PM Modi will travel to Singapore on Wednesday where he will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and meet Prime Minister Lawrence Wong along with other leaders. He will also address the business community of Singapore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Brunei on September 3 and 4, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country and celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations. Modi’s visit underscores the growing partnership between India and Brunei, focusing on enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, defense, space technology, health, and cultural exchange.
Brunei, a small Southeast Asian nation on the northern coast of Borneo, gained independence from British protection in 1984. Known for its oil wealth and absolute monarchy under Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei is also a key partner in India’s ‘Act East’ policy and plays a significant role in the Indo-Pacific region. The two nations have a history of collaboration, with Brunei contributing to India-ASEAN relations as a Country Coordinator from 2012 to 2015.
