SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen visited the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) Special Operations Task Force on Oct 23 during an official visit to Singapore.
The Prince was briefed on the SAF’s special operations capabilities by the Special Operations Task Force and the Special Operations Aviation Task Group, said the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) on Oct 23.
During his visit, he also observed Special Operations Task Force operators responding to a counter-terrorism scenario and flew in the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s H225M medium-lift helicopter, it added.
Mateen was hosted by Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad for the visit.
The Prince was in Singapore from Oct 21 to 23 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. This was his first official visit to Singapore since he became Brunei’s foreign minister in June.
His visit comes after Singapore and Brunei recently reaffirmed 50 years of defence ties with a joint parade in Brunei on Oct 10 that was attended by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
The Prince’s visit builds on the momentum of high-level exchanges between Singapore and Brunei, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Oct 23.
PM Wong said Singapore and Brunei share a special and longstanding friendship built on deep mutual trust and understanding.
“We will build on this legacy to deepen our cooperation, strengthen the ties between our peoples, and take our partnership forward for generations to come,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Oct 23.
There have been a series of visits by leaders from both sides, including Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s trip to Brunei for the Sultan’s 80th birthday celebrations in July, during which the two nations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
Singapore and Brunei also signed a supply chain resilience pact on Oct 12 to ensure the flow of essential items like crude oil, food and medical supplies during crises.
Earlier in his trip, Mateen met Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing on Oct 21. MINDEF said both leaders reaffirmed the importance of continued bilateral defence engagement and discussed opportunities to deepen the countries’ defence cooperation.
In a social media post on Oct 21, Chan said both leaders had a good discussion on how to collaborate not only in defence but also in other areas that benefit their countries.
Such regular interactions and shared experiences continue to bring Singaporeans and Bruneians closer together and strengthen the longstanding friendship between both sides, added Chan.
While in Singapore, Mateen also called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and PM Wong and met Balakrishnan. He was hosted to lunch by SM Lee on Oct 21.
The Prince also attended an industry roundtable with Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, where participants exchanged perspectives on business and investment opportunities in Singapore and Brunei, said MFA.
Mateen’s itinerary included a briefing on Singapore’s AI strategy by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said in an Oct 23 social media post that both leaders had a wide-ranging discussion on artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, which are central to their nations’ digital strategies. -- The Straits Times/Asia News Network
