Legislative Council (LegCo) Speaker Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Haji Mohamed Taib received separate courtesy calls from three foreign envoys to the country yesterday.
There were Ambassador of Indonesia to Brunei Darussalam Dr Achmad Ubaedillah; Ambassador of Vietnam to Brunei Darussalam Tran Anh Vu; and Ambassador of China to Brunei Darussalam Xiao Jianguo.
During the meeting with Dr Achmad Ubaedillah, both sides expressed their appreciation for the relationship and hoped that it will continue to grow and strengthen, especially in the fields of defence, people-to-people exchanges, workforce and economic opportunities, especially in the field of halal economy.
On trade, especially the transition of the new capital of Indonesia to Kalimantan, the envoy said Indonesia welcomes investors to cooperate and invest in the city.
The friendship between the two legislative bodies can also be seen by the exchange of visits. Both parties welcome cooperation between the Parliaments regarding mutual concerns and interests while exploring cooperation opportunities.
The Sultanate also has strong bilateral relations with Vietnam through official visits by the heads of state. The two countries have agreed to further enhance comprehensive partnerships in various fields including energy, people-to-people exchanges and tourism.
During the meeting with Tran Anh Vu, the two sides touched upon cooperation between the LegCo and the National Assembly of Vietnam, which is evident through meetings on mutual interests. The LegCo speaker said Brunei Darussalam is proud of Vietnam’s achievements including the rapid and advanced development growth.
Tran Anh Vu also touched on the cooperation between the two parties in the field of higher education between Universiti Brunei Darussalam and a university in Da Nang and hoped that it will continue to develop and strengthen.
He also said he admired Brunei Darussalam’s progress in the halal sector and halal certification.
The Sultanate’s commitment to ensuring the highest standards of halal quality makes the country a regional hub for halal product certification, which has great potential for the entire ASEAN region, the envoy added.
Meanwhile, Brunei Darussalam and China enjoy close relations and friendship.
The LegCo speaker expressed his gratitude for China’s contribution to the country as well as the Asian region during a meeting with the envoy.
The two sides also touched on China’s initiative, ‘One Belt One Road’, which China hopes the desired goals would also align with Brunei Vision 2035.
Xiao Jianguo expressed his admiration for the involvement of LegCo members in understanding grassroot issues, which can be seen through visits and discussions.
In terms of future opportunities between the two countries, the LegCo speaker hoped to always provide assistance and facilitate opportunities in order to improve the relations between the two countries.
In the legal field, the two parties agreed that both Brunei Darussalam and China are always strengthening and deepening the relationship through frequent communications and hoped to increase visits in the future. – Azlan Othman
