PM Modi and the Brunei Sultan last met during the 2017 East Asia Summit held in Manila.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a historic state visit to Brunei, marking the the first ever bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister to the southeast Asian nation. After Brunei, PM Modi will visit Singapore as part of a two-nation tour.
Here are the top 10 updates from PM Modi's two-nation state visit:
On day 2 of the tour, PM Modi met the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah.The Sultan is the second-longest reigning monarch in the world after the late Queen Elizabeth II. With an estimated net worth of around $30 billion, he was once the world's richest person.
"Delighted to meet His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Our talks were wide ranging and included ways to further cement bilateral ties between our nations. We are going to further expand trade ties, commercial linkages and people-to-people exchanges," said PM Modi said in a post on X while sharing glimpses from his meeting.
After the bilateral meet, the prime minister said the two countries will focus on mutual cooperation in agriculture, industry, pharma and health as well as technology and cyber security. "In the field of space, we have agreed on satellite development, remote sensing and training. Direct linkage will be started soon for connectivity between the two countries," he said.
PM Modi and the Brunei Sultan had met for the first time on the sidelines of 25th ASEAN Summit at Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014 and again during the 2017 East Asia Summit held in Manila.
PM's historic visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei.
The prime minister and the Sultan engaged in bilateral discussions focussing on areas of cooperation like defence, trade and investment, energy, space technology and health. The two nations are also expected to sign several MoUs.
The prime minister will be then hosted by the Sultan for a banquet lunch at his official residence Istana Nurul Iman Palace.
The Istana Nurul Iman Palace is the world's largest palace and has its name registered in Guinness World Records. It boasts of 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms and 44 staircases made of 38 kinds of marble.
After lunch PM Modi will depart for Singapore. Upon his arrival, the prime minister will meet members of the Indian community there before being hosted for dinner by his counterpart PM Lawrence Wong.
On Tuesday, PM Modi visited the renowned Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Brunei, considered one of the most iconic structures in the region. The prime minister also inaugurated the new Chancery of the Indian High Commission in Brunei.
PM Modi also interacted with the local officials, scholars and members of the Indian community who had gathered in large numbers.
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