The King of Sultanate of Brunei, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah made a state visit to India from 20-23 May 2008 to strengthen bilateral relations.

The Sultan was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan. He held talks with President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmed.

The Sultan of Brunei, one of the richest men in the world, flew his own Boeing 747 from capital Bandar Seri Begawan to New Delhi. As one of the world’s longest serving monarchs who assumed the throne in 1967, the Sulatan is known for his lavish lifestyle. The Sultan holds portfolios of finance and defence in his island nation of less than half a million population.

This is the first visit by the Sultan to India in over a decade. Brunei, which does not have any indigenous industry, is keen to enhance trade and investment from India. It is looking at India as a knowledge power and is keen on expanding the Indian presence in its IT sector.

Agreements

Agreements on Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) and the Joint Trade Committee were signed during the visit. The BIPA agreement is to accelerate trade relations between the two countries as the agreement will provide a ground for future investment between the two countries. Both India and Brunei will identify areas of investment and how the investment could be safe and secure.

Apart from investment, the technical know-how possessed by Indian counterparts will enhance the technical and production capabilities of SMEs in Brunei. MoUs on information and communication technology, trade and economic cooperation and cooperation in the spheres of culture, arts, mass media and sports were also signed.