Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a historic state visit to Brunei, marking the the first ever bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister to the southeast Asian nation. PM Modi met the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah .
PM’s historic visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei.
“Delighted to meet His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Our talks were wide ranging and included ways to further cement bilateral ties between our nations. We are going to further expand trade ties, commercial linkages and people-to-people exchanges,” said PM Modi said in a post on X while sharing glimpses from his meeting.
The Sultan is the second-longest reigning monarch in the world after the late Queen Elizabeth II. With an estimated net worth of around $30 billion, he was once the world’s richest person.
The prime minister will be then hosted by the Sultan for a banquet lunch at his official residence Istana Nurul Iman Palace.
The Istana Nurul Iman Palace is the world’s largest palace and has its name registered in Guinness World Records. It boasts of 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms and 44 staircases made of 38 kinds of marble.