BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN—Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam received a major boost for reaffirmation and moving forward with the three-day official visit to the sultanate of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana from May 16 to 18.
Ambassador-designate to Brunei Darussalam Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio accompanied Lorenzana in his call with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan.
During the call, the Philippines extended its appreciation to the sultan for the active involvement of Brunei Darussalam in the International Monitoring Team and the International Decommissioning Body in the Philippines. The delegation apprised His Majesty on the country’s gains in the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2019.
Lorenzana also met with Minister of Defense II Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Ret.) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof. Both sides identified key initiatives for bolstering the close defense relations between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam, and discussed current initiatives in Asean to forward the regional security agenda, with a focus on natural-disaster response and postpandemic recovery.
Image credits: Borneo Bulletin/DFA