Prime Minister Albanese and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam met in Canberra today to elevate the Australia-Brunei Darussalam relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership.
The elevation of our bilateral relationship demonstrates the practical steps that Australia is taking to strengthen ties with our Southeast Asian neighbours.
The Comprehensive Partnership articulates our shared aspirations for a peaceful and prosperous region, and our respect for international law, sovereignty, open markets and ASEAN Centrality.
Under this new Partnership, Australia and Brunei Darussalam will work together on a range of issues including trade and investment, maritime security, education, the transition to net-zero and increased food security.
The Partnership will also see our countries deepen longstanding defence cooperation. To reflect our defence partnership and shared aspirations for a peaceful and stable region, His Majesty will travel to Darwin to visit Robertson Barracks and meet Australian Defence Force personnel.
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
"I am pleased to embark on a Comprehensive Partnership with Brunei Darussalam.
"The Partnership offers a chance to cooperate on the net-zero transition in the region, strengthen trade ties, and deepen cooperation on defence and security.
"It affirms our shared support for ASEAN as the region's central platform for open, transparent and rules-based dialogue."
