His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu‘izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa‘adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, this afternoon received in audience The Right Honourable Chief Justice Tun Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh, Chief Justice of Malaysia, who is in Brunei Darussalam for the biennial bilateral meeting between the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam and the Federal Court of Malaysia. The Audience Ceremony was held at Istana Nurul Iman.

Joining The Right Honourable Chief Justice Tun Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh at the Audience Ceremony were The Honourable Toh Puan Intan Baizura binti Abdul Wahab, spouse to the Chief Justice; The Right Honourable Justice Datuk Seri Abu Bakar bin Jais, President of the Court of Appeal; The Right Honourable Justice Datuk Seri Hashim bin Hamzah, Chief Judge of Malaysia; The Right Honourable Justice Datuk Hajjah Azizah binti Haji Nawawi, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak; His Excellency Datuk Mohd Aini Atan, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam; and Yang Mulia Azhaniz Teh bin Azman Teh, Chief Registrar of the Federal Court.

Also present during the Audience Ceremony were Yang Amat Arif Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong Wan Oon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam; Yang Arif Awang Haji Abdullah Soefri bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin, Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court; Yang Arif Awang Muhammed Faisal bin Pehin Datu Juragan Laila Diraja Colonel (Retired) Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Haji Kefli, Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court; Yang Mulia Awang Zulhusam bin Haji Abdul Samad, Permanent Secretary (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office; and Yang Mulia Dayang Hajah Hazarena binti Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Jaya Dato Paduka Haji Hurairah, Acting Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.

During the Audience Ceremony, His Majesty and The Right Honourable Chief Justice of Malaysia touched on the continued strengthening of judicial cooperation between the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam and the Federal Court of Malaysia.

The Right Honourable Chief Justice Tun Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh has served as Chief Justice of Malaysia since 28th July 2025, and this visit marks his first visit to Brunei Darussalam in that capacity.

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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, graciously received a courtesy call from the Chief of Defence Forces, Royal Thai Armed Forces, His Excellency General Ukris Boontanondha, today.

Joining His Excellency General Ukris Boontanondha at the audience held at Istana Nurul Iman were the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Thailand to Brunei Darussalam, His Excellency Akrapong Chalermnon, and senior officers from the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

Brunei Darussalam and the Kingdom of Thailand have established diplomatic relations since January 1, 1984. The close bilateral relations between the two countries were also manifested during the recent 35th ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan, Russian Federation, where His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, graciously received a courtesy call from the Prime Minister of Thailand, His Excellency Anutin Charnvirakul.

In the field of defence and military, the bilateral relations between the two countries continue to be strengthened through various defence and military activities, including courses, exchange visits, meetings, and exercises, as well as through multilateral platforms, particularly under the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM).

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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa‘adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, this afternoon received in separate audiences Her Excellency Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio, outgoing Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to Brunei Darussalam; Her Excellency Caryn R. McClelland, outgoing Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Brunei Darussalam; and His Excellency Tran Anh Vu, outgoing Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to Brunei Darussalam.

Her Excellency the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to Brunei Darussalam presented her Letter of Credence to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on 24th May 2022.

Her Excellency the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Brunei Darussalam presented her Letter of Credence to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on 24th May 2022.

His Excellency the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to Brunei Darussalam presented his Letter of Credence to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on 13th September 2023.

The Audience Ceremonies took place at Istana Nurul Iman.

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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, this afternoon received in audience the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, His Excellency Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

His Excellency was in Brunei Darussalam for a one-day working visit to strengthen bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest, particularly in the health sector. The visit focused on efforts to improve the quality of healthcare services, enhance the capacity development of the healthcare workforce, and promote the sharing of knowledge and best practices between the two countries.

As part of the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding on health cooperation was signed between Brunei Darussalam and the Republic of Indonesia, reflecting the commitment of both countries to strengthen cooperation in the development and improvement of healthcare systems for their mutual benefit. His Excellency also visited Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital.

Accompanying His Excellency at the Audience Ceremony held at Istana Nurul Iman were the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to Brunei Darussalam, His Excellency Professor Dr. Achmad Ubaedillah; and Deputy Health Minister of the Republic of Indonesia, Yuli Farianti.

Also present was the Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar.

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Upon the conclusion of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, this afternoon left Kazan, Russian Federation.

Accompanying His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Prior to departure, Doa Selamat was recited by Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr.) Ustaz Awang Haji Abdul Aziz bin Juned, the State Mufti.

Present at Kazan International Airport to bid farewell to His Majesty were His Excellency Alexey Pesoshin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan; and His Excellency Yuri Kamaltynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Also present were His Excellency Pengiran Muhammad Husaini bin Pengiran Penggawa Laila Bentara Istiadat Diraja Dalam Istana Pengiran Haji Alauddin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brunei Darussalam to the Russian Federation and officials from the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Moscow.

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His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, today attended the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, which was held at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre.

Accompanying His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

At the First Plenary Session of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, His Majesty in a titah expressed heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency President Vladimir Putin for the warm welcome and to the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and people of Kazan for their generous hospitality. His Majesty also expressed sincere condolences to His Excellency Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand on the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, Kingdom of Thailand.

Reflecting on the evolution of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership over the past thirty-five years, alongside the significant changes that have shaped both the region and the wider world, His Majesty highlighted that this partnership has proven resilient and increasingly vital in navigating global transformations. In addition, ASEAN-Russia cooperation has significantly strengthened across all three ASEAN Community pillars, demonstrating Russia’s strong commitment to ASEAN’s regional efforts and shared goals of peace, security and prosperity.

Furthermore, His Majesty highlighted that through collaboration, the partnership has delivered tangible benefits and fostered strong friendships between the peoples of both regions. As ASEAN pursues its Vision 2045, it faces a challenging world marked by political tensions, economic divisions, climate challenges and rapid technological progress. Hence, His Majesty underscored that ASEAN-Russia cooperation will remain vital for strengthening collective resilience and advancing peace, stability and prosperity in areas where it can make a meaningful impact, including energy and food security, climate action, disaster management and non-traditional security challenges.

His Majesty emphasised that at the heart of these efforts are the people, and that through education, exchanges and training, future generations must be equipped with the skills and networks needed to strengthen the partnership. Ultimately, ASEAN-Russia relations will be measured by the actual benefits delivered to the peoples.

Lastly, His Majesty welcomed the Kazan Declaration 2026, which reaffirms the commitment to strengthening the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership. To this end, His Majesty expressed confidence that as both sides chart the next thirty-five years, they will draw on the trust and cooperation developed over time to successfully navigate future challenges.

At the end of this Plenary Session, four (4) outcome documents were adopted, namely: the Kazan Declaration 2026: ASEAN Russian Federation: Unity in Diversity – 35 Years Together; Comprehensive Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN-Russian Federation Strategic Partnership (2026–2030); Joint Statement of ASEAN and the Russian Federation on Energy Cooperation; and Joint Statement of ASEAN and the Russian Federation on Cultural Cooperation.

His Majesty and other Heads of Delegation later attended the Second Plenary Session (Working Lunch) themed “Integration Processes in Eurasia”. The Working Lunch also featured remarks by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Board, as well as a report on the outcome of the ASEAN-Russia Business Forum – a side event of the Commemorative Summit – held on 17th June 2026, which was welcomed by His Majesty and the Co-Chairs of the Forum.

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