KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia and Brunei are looking forward to the opening of the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (STATO) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei by year end, which would further strengthen tourism cooperation between Brunei and Malaysia’s state of Sarawak.
According to a joint statement on the 24th Annual leaders’ Consultation between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, both leaders noted with pleasure the progress made to pursue closer economic collaboration between Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak.
“The leaders also welcomed the sale of Liquified Petroleum Gas to Brunei from June 16, 2023 to July 1, 2023, and in this regard, encouraged both sides to strengthen efforts to further enhance economic cooperation between Brunei and the States of Sabah and Sarawak,” according to the statement.
Earlier, the Sultan of Brunei, who is on a three-day state visit to Malaysia, attended a meeting with Anwar and witnessed the signing of several bilateral instruments between the two countries.
Prior to that, the Sultan of Brunei and his consort were accorded a state welcome at Istana Negara (National Palace) by the Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
According to the statement, the leaders further reaffirmed the need to pursue greater connectivity between Brunei and Sarawak, and welcomed the proposal to include Brunei in the Northern Coastal Highway, which would contribute to advancing socio-economic benefits for the governments and people of Brunei and Malaysia.
The leaders welcomed Brunei’s export initiatives with Sabah and Sarawak for processed food including meat-based products scheduled for this year, which will help to strengthen food security and supply on both sides.
“Both leaders were encouraged with the work of the Brunei and Sarawak Technical Agriculture Committee in their efforts to explore opportunities in agriculture cooperation.
“The leaders were pleased with the seamless coordination between both sides in the exports and imports of agricultural products and further recognised that this would pave the way for closer cooperation in agriculture between Brunei and Sarawak,” according to the statement.
Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to undertake mutual cooperation in digital cooperation including in digital connectivity, cybersecurity, personal data protection and emerging technologies, and welcomed the progress made towards finalising the Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Digital Cooperation.
The leaders also reaffirmed the benefits of enhancing transport connectivity, particularly in facilitating the continued movement of goods and people between Brunei and Malaysia.
In this regard, the leaders urged the finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Transport that is targeted this year and which will further enhance cooperation on transport safety, sustainability, technologies and innovations between both countries.
Both leaders exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, where they stressed the need for ASEAN to remain united and relevant, so that it can maintain its central role as a key driving force that is effective and responsive in dealing with future opportunities and challenges.
“They further reaffirmed their commitment to continue working with ASEAN Dialogue Partners and maintain ASEAN’s outward-looking approach based on mutual interest and benefit to further advance ASEAN’s Community-building efforts.
“The leaders discussed the recent developments in Myanmar and expressed strong concerns regarding the ongoing violence in the country. Both leaders called on Myanmar to fully implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and reiterated the unified position that the 5PC remains ASEAN’s main reference to address the political crisis in Myanmar,” according to the statement.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work closely within ASEAN and other external partners, including the United Nations to encourage progress in the implementation of the 5PC in its entirety, in line with the ASEAN leaders’ decision at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, with the end goal of finding a peaceful and durable solution, in the interest of the people of Myanmar.
Both leaders also discussed the situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories and reaffirmed their unwavering position that the Palestinians deserve their right to an independent and sovereign state of their own, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Meanwhile, both leaders also acknowledged the 2nd Brunei-Malaysia Joint Land Boundary Committee Meeting which was held on July 6, 2023 in Bandar Seri Begawan.
“Both sides will concurrently sign the first Memorandum of Understanding on phases which have been jointly demarcated and surveyed and which covers specific sections in Sector C-D, Sector D-E, and Sector K-L, part of Sector J-K in the vicinity of Jambatan Persahabatan and Block B in the vicinity of Brunei Bay, with the Exchange of Notes at the Ministerial-level to commit both countries to make significant joint progress in the priority areas, specifically Sector F-G, as soon as possible,” according to the statement.
The leaders also noted the finalisation of the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Working Committee on Security Matters Related to the Brunei-Malaysia Land Boundary and agreed that the Working Committee, would among others, assist both sides to jointly address matters related to security along the Malaysia-Brunei land boundary.
The leaders agreed to hold the 25th Annual leaders’ Consultation in Brunei, next year.
— NNN-BERNAMA
