I am pleased to announce that His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah will visit Australia from 15th to the 20th of February.
His Majesty is the head of state of Brunei Darussalam. In addition to being Sultan, His Majesty is also the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and Finance Minister of Brunei Darussalam.
Brunei Darussalam is a valuable partner for Australia in ASEAN and the Commonwealth. The two countries have a positive and longstanding economic relationship including through Brunei's investments, particularly in the Northern Territory. Bilateral trade stood at around $700 million in 2004.
Bilateral defence and security ties are active including a regular programme of exercises and training. To further security cooperation a bilateral Counter-Terrorism MOU will be signed during the visit.
People-to-people ties are also strong with increasing numbers of Brunei students studying in Australia. Brunei's national airline now services routes between Brunei and Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin.
His Majesty's programme, will include visits to Canberra 15-16 February, Sydney 16-18 February and Perth 18 - 20 February.