May 28-29, 2024
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. embarks on his first State Visit to Brunei Darussalam upon the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on May 28-29, 2024.
The Philippines and Brunei Darussalam are celebrating 40 years of bilateral relations that have been described as historically close, fraternal and excellent owing to historic people-to-people exchanges, geographic proximity and a shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous region.
The two nations are strong regional partners and are both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines – East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
In his two-day visit, President Marcos Jr. will meet with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Both leaders are expected to take stock of the progress of their commitments and ongoing bilateral undertakings, and fine tune them accordingly. They will also witness the signing and exchange of several memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on priority areas ranging from agriculture, food security, maritime cooperation and tourism.
In line with his commitment to continue exploring avenues for economic growth and job opportunities for Filipinos, the Chief Executive will keynote a Philippine Business Forum aimed at boosting trade and investments into the country.
President Marcos Jr. will allot time to meet with the Filipino community in Brunei Darussalam where he will highlight their valuable contributions both in Brunei and the Philippines.
Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 1 January 1984. Political, economic, military and socio-cultural ties have continued to vigorously expand in recent years, encompassing cooperation in defense and security, maritime, agriculture, trade and people-to-people relations.
* * *