Prime Minister Modi embarks on a historic visit to Brunei and Singapore

PM Modi leaves for a two-nation visit to Brunei and Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced a pivotal three-day official visit to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore on Tuesday, marking a significant moment in India’s diplomatic history.

PM Modi’s journey began in Brunei Darussalam, where he is the first Indian Prime Minister to undertake a bilateral visit. Scheduled from September 3 to 4, this visit comes at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Reflecting on the importance of the trip, Modi stated, “Today, I am embarking on a first-ever bilateral visit to Brunei Darussalam. As we celebrate 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 Brunei visit, Modi will travel to Singapore from September 4 to 5 at the invitation of Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong. During this leg of the trip, Modi is expected to engage with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. He will also meet with leaders from Singapore’s business community to discuss strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the two nations. The focus will be on advancing cooperation in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development.

Modi highlighted the strategic significance of both visits, noting, “Both countries are important partners in our Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. I am confident that my visits would further strengthen our partnership with Brunei, Singapore, and the larger ASEAN region.”

The visit to Brunei is particularly notable as it builds on a series of diplomatic interactions between the two nations.

Notably, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Brunei’s Foreign Minister Erywan Pehin Yusof last month to mark 40 years of diplomatic relations. Previous meetings between Modi and the Brunei Sultan took place during the 25th ASEAN Summit in Nay Pyi Taw in 2014 and the East Asia Summit in Manila in 2017. Additionally, the Brunei Sultan and other ASEAN leaders visited India in January 2018 for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and attended India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations as ‘Guests of Honour.’

In the realm of defense and economic cooperation, Indian naval and coast guard ships have regularly visited Brunei. Indian defense companies Bharat Electronics Ltd and MKU Limited participated in Brunei’s Defence Industry Exposition in June 2024, marking a significant moment in defense collaboration. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah visited the Indian stalls at the expo, expressing appreciation for Indian participation.

In Singapore, the visit follows recent high-level engagements, including the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable held earlier this week, where Indian ministers from various sectors discussed deepening ties in digital technology, skill development, and other key areas.

This diplomatic tour underscores India’s commitment to enhancing its ties with Southeast Asia, aligning with its broader ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies and fostering deeper economic and strategic partnerships in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday embarked on a three-day official visit to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.

He is first visiting Brunei Darussalam at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah from September 3-4. After that, he will travel to Singapore at the invitation of Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore. This visit is scheduled between 4-5 September.

PM Modi will become the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Brunei for a bilateral visit. This is being viewed as a significant step in bolstering ties between the two nations.

“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,” the PM said in his departure statement.

“From Brunei, I will travel to Singapore on 4 September. I look forward to the opportunity to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. I will also meet with leaders of Singapore’s vibrant business community. I look forward to my discussions to deepen our Strategic Partnership with Singapore, particularly in new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development.,” the PM said.

“Both countries are important partners in our Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. I am confident that my visits would further strengthen our partnership with Brunei, Singapore and the larger ASEAN region,” PM Modi said in the statement

Last month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Erywan Pehin Yusof, Foreign Minister of Brunei on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Vientiane and jointly launched the logo celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Brunei Sultan met for the first time on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit at Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014. They met once again during the 2017 East Asia Summit held in Manila.

In January 2018, the Brunei Sultan along with the 10 ASEAN Heads of State and Government, visited India for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. The leaders were also ‘Guests of Honour’ at India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2018.

In 2013, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Brunei Darussalam to participate in the 11th ASEAN-India Summit and the 8th EAS Summit.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Brunei Darussalam government has been supportive of India’s ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies for expansion and deepening of cooperation with ASEAN.

Indian naval and coast guard ships have regularly visited Brunei and two Indian defence companies — Bharat Electronics Ltd and MKU Limited — participated in the Defence Industry Exposition organized by Brunei Armed Forces in June 2024 for the first time. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah visited the Indian stalls during the expo and appreciated the Indian companies’ participation.

As per the MEA, there are currently around 14,500 Indians living in Brunei Darussalam out of the total population of about 450,500 with more than half of the Indian expatriates being semi and unskilled workers, who, work in oil and gas industries construction, retail businesses, etc.

After Brunei, PM Modi will travel to Singapore — a country with which India is exploring enhanced cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing areas.

Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw led the Indian delegation at the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held in Singapore.

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