IN SPITE of the already strong relationship between Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines, the allied regional partner has voiced its interest in looking for other means to ensure that the friendship between both nations continues to grow. ASEAN 2013

On the sidelines of the 22nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Leaders’ Summit that was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital, Foreign Affairs Secretary to the Government of the Philippines, Albert del Rosario, has expressed that though “we have an excellent relationship with Brunei, we are working to commit ourselves to find out how to enhance it further”.

Historically, the Brunei-Philippines relationship was made even stronger through the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) that was launched in 1994 as a means to assist in providing economic support followed with a MoU that was signed in April 2009 that seeks to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investment.

On Brunei chairing this year’s Asean Summit, Albert del Rosario described the leadership of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as “very comprehensive and efficient management of the agenda” since the leaders first gathered here on Wednesday. - Borneo Bulletin (26 April 2013)