Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan on 3 September as part of his landmark visit to Brunei.
- This visit marks the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Southeast Asian nation, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Brunei.
- Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei (father of the current Sultan, who also initiated its construction) and was completed in 1958.
- During the visit, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the new Chancery of the High Commission of India in Bandar Seri Begawan.
- The chancery, designed with a blend of traditional Indian motifs and modern architecture, reflects India’s cultural heritage.
India-Brunei Relations
- Brunei is an important partner in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision.
- Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the longest reigning monarch in the world and has been among the world’s richest for decades, has paid four visits to India so far.
- Brunei has also a special place in New Delhi’s space programme. The two sides have signed three MoUs in this field and in 2000, India established a telemetry tracking and command station in Brunei that allows it to track and monitor all eastward launches of satellites and rockets.
- The Indian diaspora in Brunei is about 14,000 and they comprise a substantial number of doctors and teachers who have earned goodwill and respect for their contributions to Brunei’s economy and society.
About Brunei
- Brunei is a tiny country located on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
- It is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides the state into two disconnected segments of unequal size.
- The western segment is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.
- Brunei achieved independence in 1984, having been a British protectorate since 1888.
- It is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
