President’s Hall, Malacañan Palace
April 27, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MOU) between the two countries at the Malacañan Palace.

The MOUs signed in their presence included an agreement on Cultural Cooperation between the two states, as well as on the Halal Industry and Halal Export Development and Promotion between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office of Brunei Darussalam.

“These positive steps in the right direction, they provide a framework for us to work even more closely,” said President Duterte in a joint press statement after the signing ceremony.

The President also spoke of the success of Sultan Bolkiah’s visit. “His Majesty’s visit has been most anticipated. You will recall that in October last year, I was invited by His Majesty to Brunei for a state visit. Our meeting was a success, and our meeting today is equally successful,” he stated.

“We had productive discussions that showed the commitment of both sides to further broaden and deepen cooperation on many fronts. These build on the earlier discussions and agreements made in Brunei,” President Duterte added.

Sultan Bolkiah confirmed the President’s remarks, saying, “Today, our meeting gave us an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest. We reaffirm our close and long-term partnership in various areas of cooperation.”

Both leaders mentioned the topics discussed during their expanded bilateral meeting that included the strengthening of the overall partnership of the two countries, the importance of security cooperation in the Southern Mindanao region, and the welfare of an estimated 23,000 Filipino nationals in Brunei.

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