Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (L) holds talks with Lawrence Wong, visiting Singaporean deputy prime minister and minister for finance, at Istana Nurul Iman in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Jan. 19, 2023. According to Brunei's Prime Minister's Office, the Sultan and Wong discussed the strong bilateral relations between both countries, particularly on defense and the Currency Interchangeability Agreement.(Photo by Jeffrey Wong/Xinhua)
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah held talks with Lawrence Wong, visiting Singaporean deputy prime minister and minister for finance, at Istana Nurul Iman on Thursday afternoon.
According to Brunei's Prime Minister's Office, the Sultan and Wong discussed the strong bilateral relations between both countries, particularly on defense and the Currency Interchangeability Agreement.
They also talked about the placement of Bruneian civil servants in Singapore under the Memorandum of Understanding on Public Service Capacity Development signed during the Sultan's state visit to Singapore in August 2022.
The Sultan also expressed deep appreciation for the close relations with Singapore, including Singapore's assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wong is leading a Singaporean delegation on a two-day official visit to Brunei. ■