SINGAPORE — Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al‑Muhtadee Billah met Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Istana on Tuesday as part of a five‑day official visit to co‑chair the 12th Singapore‑Brunei Young Leaders’ Programme (YLP), with both sides reaffirming their “special relationship” amid a more uncertain global environment.
In a Facebook post, Mr Wong said they held wide‑ranging talks on global developments affecting both countries and looked forward to continuing their conversation over dinner on Oct 1. “At a time when the global environment is becoming more uncertain and complex, close and trusted partnerships like ours are even more valuable,” he wrote. The Crown Prince, who is also Senior Minister at Brunei’s Prime Minister’s Office, was earlier hosted to lunch by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who described their discussion as cordial and focused on strengthening bilateral ties.
“Our longstanding partnership has been anchored in close personal ties between leaders on both sides. We must continue nurturing such ties, so that they endure and deepen into the next generation,” Mr Lee said, noting he last met the Crown Prince in July when he visited Brunei for Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s 80th birthday. The two countries are marking the 50th anniversary of defence relations in 2026 and will commemorate the 60th anniversary of their Currency Interchangeability Agreement in 2027.
Launched in 2013, the YLP brings together emerging leaders from both sides to advance cooperation in areas such as the digital and green economies, finance, defence and food security. This is the fourth time Mr Wong and the Crown Prince have co‑chaired the annual programme. The Bruneian delegation includes Transport and Infocommunications Minister Awang Mohammed Riza and senior officials.
During the visit, the Crown Prince is scheduled to tour key sites including Tuas Port, Safti City, Temasek Shophouse, the SingHealth Duke‑NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine, Sultan Mosque, the Malay Heritage Centre, the Singapore Oceanarium, Punggol Digital District and the Singapore Institute of Technology. On the sidelines of the YLP, Singapore and Brunei also signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation on maritime and port development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.