Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Bandar Seri Begawan Airport Tuesday afternoon as he began a two-day visit to Brunei Darussalam – the first ever bilateral trip by an Indian PM to the southeast Asian nation – at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

“As we celebrate the 40 years of our diplomatic relations, I look forward to my meetings with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and other esteemed members of the Royal family to advance our historical relationship to new heights,” said PM Modi in his departure statement ahead of his visit to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.

About PM Modi’s Visit To Brunei

During his visit, the Prime Minister will engage in bilateral discussions focusing on exploring new areas for cooperation in multiple areas like defence, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health, capacity building, culture, and vibrant people-to-people exchanges.

Last month, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met Erywan Pehin Yusof, Foreign Minister of Brunei on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Vientiane and jointly launched the logo celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

About All The Meet Of PM Modi & Sultan Of Brunei

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Brunei Sultan met for the first time on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit at Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014. They met once again during the 2017 East Asia Summit held in Manila. In January 2018, the Brunei Sultan, along with the 10 ASEAN Heads of State and Government, visited India for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. The leaders were also ‘Guests of Honour’ at India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2018. In 2013, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Brunei Darussalam to participate in the 11th ASEAN-India Summit and the 8th EAS Summit.

Crowned as the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in August 1968, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah undertook his first State Visit to India in September 1992. His second State Visit to India came in May 2008.

MEA On Brunei Darussalam Govt’s Support To India’s ‘Look East’ & ‘Act East’

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Brunei Darussalam government has been supportive of India’s ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies for expansion and deepening of cooperation with ASEAN.

“Brunei is an important partner for India’s Act East Policy and our vision for the Indo-Pacific, and as we mark a decade of our ‘Act East’ Policy this year, the visit assumes additional significance. Brunei has been our country coordinator in ASEAN from 2012 to 2015 and played a key role in our further engagements with ASEAN and continues to do so today,” Jaideep Mazumdar, MEA Secretary (East), said ahead of the PM’s landmark visit.

Indian naval and coast guard ships have also regularly visited Brunei and two Indian defence companies – Bharat Electronics Ltd and MKU Limited – participated in the Defence Industry Exposition organised by Brunei Armed Forces in June 2024 for the first time. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah visited the Indian stalls during the expo and appreciated the Indian companies’ participation.

There are currently around 14,500 Indians living in Brunei Darussalam out of the total population of about 450,500 with more than half of the Indian expatriates being semi and unskilled workers, who work in oil and gas industries construction, retail businesses, etc. There is also a substantial number of Indian doctors and teachers working in Brunei.

About PM Modi’s Visit To Singapore

After Brunei, PM Modi will travel to Singapore – a country with which India is exploring enhanced cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing areas.

In his departure statement on Tuesday, PM Modi said that he is looking forward to meeting Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong besides the leaders of Singapore’s vibrant business community.

“I look forward to my discussions to deepen our Strategic Partnership with Singapore, particularly in new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development. Both countries are important partners in our Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. I am confident that my visits would further strengthen our partnership with Brunei, Singapore, and the larger ASEAN region,” said Prime Minister Modi.

About The 2nd India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable Held In Singapore

Last week, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw led the Indian delegation at the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held in Singapore on Monday. During their visit, the Indian ministerial delegation also jointly called on Singapore Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong who had led the Singapore delegation for the first ISMR held in New Delhi in September 2022.

“Glad that progress has been made on several fronts since our last meeting. And new ideas for cooperation are being pursued, including in advanced manufacturing and connectivity. These initiatives will pave the way for closer strategic cooperation and partnership between India and Singapore,” the Singapore PM said after his meeting with the visiting Indian ministers on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, discussing topics ranging from strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations to India’s stance on the war in Ukraine.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister stated that the two leaders “discussed measures to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership and exchanged perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including my insights from the recent visit to Ukraine.”

PM Modi reiterated India’s firm commitment to supporting an early, abiding, and peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The phone call between the two leaders came hours after PM Modi received a telephone call from US President Joe Biden on Monday.

PM Modi expressed his appreciation for President Biden’s deep commitment to the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which is based on shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and strong people-to-people ties.

According to a statement released by the government, both leaders reviewed the significant progress in bilateral relations and highlighted that the India-US partnership is aimed at benefiting the people of both countries as well as the entire world.

The two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on various regional and global issues.

“While discussing the situation in Ukraine, PM Modi briefed President Biden on his recent visit to Ukraine. He reiterated India’s consistent position in favor of dialogue and diplomacy and expressed full support for the early return of peace and stability. The two leaders also expressed their shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh, emphasizing the restoration of law and order and ensuring the safety and security of minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh,” the government said in a statement.

Mumbai: The toll in the tragic bus accident in Tanahun district of Nepal has now risen to 41. Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan confirmed the casualties during a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, said a media report. The bus carrying mostly Indian tourists hailing from Maharashtra plunged into a gorge of the Marsyangdi river in Ambukhereni area of Tanahun district of Nepal on Friday.

Statement Of Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan On The Accident

At the press conference, Mahajan said that the state government was maintaining ongoing communication with both the Nepal administration and the Nepal Embassy in Delhi to coordinate relief efforts.

“41 people have lost their lives in Nepal after falling into the river. We’ve been in touch with the Embassy in Delhi, and the Nepal Army has transported 12 individuals to the hospital,” the Republic quoted Minister Mahajan as stating in the press conference.

The bus with passengers mostly from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, was plying from the mountainous tourist resort of Pokhara to the Nepal capital Kathmandu when it fell 150-feet into a river valley.

Lahu Mali, Director Of Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority On Actions To Be Taken To Bring Back Bodies Of Victims & Those Injured In The Accident

Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Director Lahu Mali said that the bodies of the victims and the injured persons will enter India from Maharajganj district of the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border on Saturday afternoon. From there they will be taken to Gorakhpur Airport by road, a distance of around 4 hours, and arrangements are being made for the onward journey to Nashik Airport, and then by road to Jalgaon. Since it is not possible to transport so many bodies and injured persons in a commercial flight, the Maharashtra government has written to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to arrange for a special flight. The special flight is likely to fly from Gorakhpur to Nashik – the nearest airport to Jalgaon – and the state government will bear all the expenses for the same.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Expresses His Condolences

Earlier on Friday, Deputy Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that “some devotees from Maharashtra” were killed in the bus tragedy and several others were injured.

The major rescue and relief operations were carried out by the local police, district and Nepal Army authorities, said officials here. Some government officials from the Maharajganj Collectorate had proceeded to the India-Nepal border to render help, as the bus had a Uttar Pradesh registration number, though exact details were not available.