Brunei pledges strong support for the Commonwealth

Brunei Darussalam’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, said his country is pleased to partner with the Commonwealth in offering mutual support for development.

The foreign minister told Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba during a visit to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London on 14 May that Brunei is committed to socio-economic development through its offer of scholarships to Commonwealth citizens to study at the University of Brunei Darussalam.

He added that Brunei is also supportive of the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC), which provides capacity-building programmes for member countries. Brunei is among the top ten contributors to the CFTC.

The Deputy Secretary-General said the Commonwealth is pleased to strengthen collaboration with Brunei in furthering the values of the Commonwealth in deepening democracy and enhancing development. She added that these goals underpin socio-economic and political sustainability.

Mrs Masire-Mwamba took the opportunity to brief the minister on outcomes of the Senior Officials Meeting held at the Secretariat on 12-13 April to follow up on the recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group for the reform of the Commonwealth, as well as the reform of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, to strengthen its role in upholding the association's fundamental political values.