- This year India and Brunei are celebrating four decades of diplomatic ties but this is the first time an Indian leader is setting foot in Brunei, which makes PM Modi’s visit a historic one.
- Brunei is one of the richest countries in the world with an annual per capita income of $77,000, and the country doesn’t have to pay taxes and education is free.
- Brunei is right next to the South China Sea and has claims and conflicts with Beijing, which causes the conflict as China claims all of the South China Sea.
PM Modi’s trip to Brunei should not be overlooked, compared to his upcoming visits to New York to attend the UN general assembly, in Russia for the BRICS summit. This trip may seem insignificant but this year India and Brunei are celebrating four decades of diplomatic ties but this is the first time an Indian leader is setting foot on Brunei, which makes PM Modi’s visit a historic one. He was welcomed by the crown prince of Brunei with full red carpet treatment.
Brunei is a unique country, a tiny tropical South East Asian nation, with a majority of Muslim population. The country is situated on the Island of Borneo, the third largest island, and it is split into two parts by Malaysia. Brunei was a powerful Sultanate during the 15th and 16th Century, overtime the Empire was whittled away, losing its land and during the 19th century it was struck by conflicts and piracy, till 1888 it became a British protectorate, which means the Sultanate was still in charge losing its authority over foreign and defence matters. Still, it kept losing lands, and over 100 years of the British using them, they were ousted in 1984. The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, whose one of the oldest and longest-reigning monarchs. The Sultan was the one who invited PM Modi to visit Brunei and the PM will be meeting him in the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the sultan and one of the world’s largest residential palaces.
Brunei despite being small is one of the richest countries in the world with an annual per capita income of $77,000, and the country doesn’t have to pay taxes and education is free. The country is wealthy due to its Oil and Gas reserves, and its export. India is one of Brunei’s top customers in this energy trade, and the key foundation to this relationship. In 2022 the bilateral trade reached $ 400 million, of which a bulk was from India’s energy purchases. Other priorities are defence and military, in which Brunei could use India’s help. Brunei is right next to the South China Sea and has claims and conflicts with Beijing. Being in the South China Sea, it has access to oil reserves and trade, which causes the conflict as China claims all of the South China Sea.
The estimate of the Oil and Natural gas reserves is about, 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil. This is worth trillions and this is why China wants all for itself. The Chinese forces are aggressive in this region. Here is where India comes into play as Brunei wants to strengthen its forces and defence and is looking to India for support. It is in India’s interest to join forces with Brunei by deepening bilateral and defence cooperation. Other areas of cooperation will be in health, space exploration, cultural exchange, welfare, trade and investment, and energy. Brunei is also a member of the ASEAN, and by securing ties with this tiny nation, India could secure another ally in the region. PM Modi’s visit is another step and a new chapter in this region.
Parag Gilada 
Prajwal K M