Members of the Indian diaspora and Bruneian royals accorded PM Modi a warm welcome on his maiden visit to the southeast Asian nation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he is looking forward to building strong ties between New Delhi and Bandar Seri Begawan by boosting commercial and cultural linkages upon landing in Brunei for a bilateral visit. This is also the first time an Indian prime minister is visiting the Asian nation.
He was welcomed at the airport by Brunei prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. “I thank Crown Prince His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah for welcoming me at the airport,” PM Modi said, thanking the Brunei royal for his gesture.
“Landed in Brunei Darussalam. Looking forward to strong ties between our nations, especially in boosting commercial and cultural linkages,” he said.
A very special welcome in Brunei Darussalam! Grateful for the affection. pic.twitter.com/ndDT41mMga— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 3, 2024
Prime Minister Modi also interacted with the members of the Indian diaspora who gathered at Bandar Seri Begawan to catch a glimpse of him. He interacted with a child who presented him with his sketch and gave her an autograph, according to news agency ANI. Members of the Indian diaspora in Bandar Seri Begawan had queued up since early morning (local time) to catch a glimpse of the visiting prime minister.
#WATCH | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: As he arrives at a hotel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with a child who presented him with his sketch and also gives her his autograph. pic.twitter.com/CYVxjkIxEZ— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2024
“We were mesmerised and stunned to see PM Modi. He is the “Pratham Sewak” of our country. We have no words to express our joy. We got the chance to welcome PM Modi. We are proud and happy to be a part of this grand occasion,” a member of the Indian diaspora who came to greet Modi, said.
The Prime Minister also shared a video thanking the country for the warm welcome extended to him. He also visited the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is one of the two national mosques of Brunei. Named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, the mosque is also a national landmark.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the new Chancery of the High Commission of India, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.(Video: ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/eMr8HDgHMi
— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2024
He later inaugurated the Chancery of the High Commission of India in the capital.
Brunei
The Prime Minister said in his departure statement that he looked forward to his meetings with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and other members of the royal family to advance the historical relationship to new heights. At a media briefing on Monday, MEA’s Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar, said India and Brunei are working towards setting up a “joint working group in defence”.
Singapore
PM Modi will travel to Singapore on Wednesday. He said he looked 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. Modi will also meet leaders of Singapore’s 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,” he said. Both countries, he said, are important partners in India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. He said, “I am confident that my visits would further strengthen our partnership with Brunei, Singapore and the larger ASEAN region.”
‘Dynamic strategic partnership’
During the press conference on Monday, the Secretary (East) stressed that India-Singapore ties have “evolved” and there is a “dynamic strategic partnership” encompassing various areas from shared history and people-to-people ties that form an important link between the two countries.
“Our trade and investment flows have shown a steady growth, we have a robust defence cooperation and growing exchanges in culture and education. We have identified new anchors of our partnership under the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable framework,” he said.
