| Azlan Othman |

BRUNEI has seen an increase of fivefold in the number of tourists from Russia with the establishment of visa-free travel between Russia and Brunei, Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof said.

He also highlighted the importance of people-to-people exchanges.

The minister made these comments during a press conference following a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov.

Russia and Brunei have signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in various spheres, including education, defence, culture, trade and investment over the past years, he said.

Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan also underscored friendly and constructive nature of relations between Russia and Brunei. “We have had excellent rapport on all levels from the leadership of our two countries to our officials and people,” he said.

The minister expressed appreciation to Russia for the efforts it undertakes to ensure peace and stability in Asia.

“We believe Russia continues to play an important role in regional security architecture in Asia-Pacific region. Russia is an invaluable partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and we welcome Russia’s continuous support for ASEAN centrality,” he said.

At the press conference the ministers said the meeting was constructive, positive and substantial.

The two ministers agreed to accelerate the renewal of bilateral legal framework, inclu-ding working on draft MoUs in the fields of law enforcement, fight against drug-trafficking, elimination of the consequences of emergencies, education, science and tourism.

The visit is another significant milestone in the development of the relations between Russia and Brunei Darussalam. Over the last few years the two countries have gradually expanded political dialogue, cooperation between parliaments, security councils and law enforcement agencies, significantly intensified exchanges in the spheres of defence, security, education and culture.

Moscow and Bandar Seri Begawan continue to enhance trade and economic cooperation. The two states undertake consistent efforts to elaborate and implement new projects, particularly in the fields of energy and agriculture.

The meeting between Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed common interest to further develop comprehensive partnership in all areas and on all levels.

It provided an important impetus to positive trends in bilateral ties, became another step forward towards closer cooperation between the two countries that fully meets the interests of Brunei and Russia as well as the objectives of security and prosperity in the Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific region.