BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Feb 14 (NNN-Bernama) — A proposal to establish a vaccinated travel lane (VTL) by air between Malaysia and Brunei will be among matters to be discussed during Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s official maiden visit to Brunei beginning Monday.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Raja Reza Raja Zaib Shah said the visit would also provide opportunities for both countries to discuss bilateral issues and cooperation as well as explore new cooperation post-COVID-19.
Also on the table are cooperation in the field of health diplomacy and promotion of closer economic cooperation, he said in a media press conference with Malaysian journalists here Sunday.
On trade between the two countries, he said last year, total trade between Malaysia and Brunei was RM8.03 billion, up 70.4 per cent from RM4.71 billion in 2020.
“Malaysia is the fourth largest trading partner for Brunei Darussalam,” he said, adding that Malaysia exports more goods to Brunei, including petroleum and food products.
Ismail Sabri’s official visit to Brunei is the first since he was appointed prime minister last August and it symbolises the government’s commitment to strengthening existing special ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry in a statement Sunday said the visit will be conducted based on the standard operating procedures (SOP) that have been set by the Malaysian and Brunei governments.
— NNN-BERNAMA