Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Brunei Darussalam from 14 to 17 July 2026 to attend Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s 80th birthday celebrations and reaffirm Singapore-Brunei cooperation in defence, economic, and people-to-people ties.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Brunei Darussalam from 14 to 17 July 2026 to attend the 80th birthday celebrations of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. The visit reaffirmed the longstanding bilateral relationship between Singapore and Brunei while providing an opportunity for both countries to strengthen cooperation across key areas of mutual interest.
Source: Facebook/Lee Hsien Loong
Accompanied by Mrs Lee and Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, Senior Minister Lee participated in the official celebrations, including the Royal Guard of Honour Parade, the Investiture Ceremony, and the Royal Banquet held in conjunction with His Majesty’s milestone birthday.
During an audience with the Sultan on 15 July 2026, Senior Minister Lee conveyed birthday greetings on behalf of Singapore’s leaders and expressed appreciation for His Majesty’s enduring support for the close and longstanding relationship between Singapore and Brunei. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties, particularly as the two countries commemorate the 50th anniversary of defence relations in 2026 and prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 2027.
Source: Facebook/Lee Hsien Loong
Senior Minister Lee also met His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Their discussions focused on enhancing people-to-people ties by fostering exchanges among the next generation of leaders, government officials, and youths. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of initiatives such as the Young Leaders’ Programme, which is co-chaired by His Royal Highness and Singapore’s Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.
In separate meetings, Senior Minister Lee met His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other Bruneian ministers. Discussions explored opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas including energy and food security, supply chain resilience, and people-to-people exchanges.
As part of the visit, Senior Minister Lee also engaged Singapore Armed Forces personnel undergoing training in Brunei and visited Barramundi Group’s aquaculture farm, highlighting continued collaboration in defence and commercial sectors.
The visit underscored the close and enduring partnership between Singapore and Brunei, built on decades of cooperation across defence, economic, and people-to-people ties. As both countries commemorate significant bilateral milestones, the engagements are expected to support continued collaboration and strengthen the longstanding relationship in the years ahead.
Source: MFA Singapore
