Brunei Sultan enhances ties with Australia and New Zealand at summit
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Tuesday (March 5) held bilateral meetings with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Also present was Prince ‘Abdul Mateen.

At the bilateral meeting at Park Hyatt Melbourne, the Sultan congratulated Luxon on his appointment as the prime minister of New Zealand and said the meeting reaffirmed the important ties between Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand as this year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The monarch then invited Luxon to visit the Sultanate as said he looked forward to further strengthening bilateral ties.

The Sultan and Luxon also discussed bilateral relations and regional matters, including exploring opportunities to further expand and diversify trade, tourism and education; halal industry; working together on climate change; and discussing efforts to further enhance Asean-New Zealand dialogue relations.

Luxon also invited the Sultan to visit New Zealand.

Meanwhile, during his meeting with Albanese at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre (MCEC), the Sultan welcomed the Australian Prime Minister to Brunei Darussalam.

In commemorating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Brunei Darussalam and Australia as well as the 50th anniversary of Asean-Australia dialogue relations, the monarch said he looked forward to further deepening the much-valued friendship and partnership for many more years.

He also underlined that the shared commitment between Brunei Darussalam and Australia in enhancing existing cooperation while exploring new areas is testament to the evolving friendship, where the two sides work closely to solidify the partnership with a joint plan of action.

The Sultan also expressed hope for the relations to continue in areas such as economy, energy, defence and people-to-people exchanges, noting Brunei’s interest to cooperate with Australia on energy transition and health.

The monarch and Albanese also exchanged views on a wide range of topics, including bilateral, regional and international issues as well as the situation in Palestine.

A joint statement was issued at the end of the meeting. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
Brunei,Australia,New Zealand,bilateral,meetings
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Tuesday (March 5) held bilateral meetings with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.