KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan flew into Brunei for an official visit today that is aimed to further strengthen the defence cooperation between both countries.

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) in a statement said during the visit, the minister had an audience with the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman, Bandar Seri Bengawan.

"During the meeting, they had a very productive discussion ranging on a broad spectrum of matters, particularly on the defence cooperation between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam,” the ministry said.

On top of that, Mohamad also extended an invitation for His Majesty to visit the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2023 (LIMA ‘23) that will be held from May 23 to 27, this year.

Earlier, Mohamad made a call on Brunei’s Deputy Minister of Defence, His Excellency Brigadier General (Retired) Datuk Seri Pahlawan Abdul Razak Abdul Kadir.

"During the visit, both Ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthen the existing bilateral defence and military relations and to enhance cooperation in both defence and military sectors through various bilateral and multilateral platforms,” the statement said.

In addition, both ministers acknowledged that the official visit was a testament of the strong bond and dynamic bilateral defence ties between the two countries.

Malaysia and Brunei share a longstanding bilateral relationship and the visit by Mohamad has provided the opportunity for both countries to further deepen their strategic partnership. — Bernama