| Aziz Idris |
THE German Embassy in Brunei Darussalam hosted a dinner reception to mark the occasion of the Day of German Unity at Indera Kayangan Ballroom, The Empire Hotel & Country Club yesterday.
The guest of honour was Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah, Minister of Development accompanied by his spouse Pengiran Datin Hajah Noorsiah binti Pengiran Hamdan.
Peter Hermann Wolff, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Brunei Darussalam in his welcoming remarks lauded the $1.8-million project between Brunei Fertilizer Industries and ThyssenKrupp, a German engineering company that recently sealed a deal to construct an urea fertiliser plant at Sungai Liang Industrial Park.
He believed it will spur more interest among other German companies to take a closer look at the opportunities Brunei has to offer.
“This industrial project adds a new and very important element to Germany’s bilateral economic relation with Brunei,” he said before acknowledging the guest of honour as one of the Bruneian co-signers for the important contract.
According to the ambassador, the project will start production in early 2020 and will make use of Bruneian offshore gas as well as providing work for hundreds of Bruneians.
The project will represent an “important step forward” in the economic diversification strategy of the Brunei Government.
He also commented on the “relatively small, yet well-established” presence of German companies in the Sultanate, most noticeable the German makers of premium cars.
The ambassador acknowledged that Lufthansa, a German company with possibly the longest presence in Brunei, has been servicing the planes of His Majesty the Sultan’s Flight and also providing pilots for 32 years. Wolff elaborated on other established German companies in Brunei involving in the field of medical technology, shipyard and cement.
He lauded the peace and stability achieved in Brunei, including the enormous strides the nation has made in its economic and social development.
He also congratulated the Golden Jubilee of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Accession to the Throne.
The reception began with the national anthems of both countries, followed by the anthem for the European Union before the customary cake-cutting ceremony and a presentation of souvenirs to the minister and spouse.
Also present were members of the Diplomatic Corps, government officials, and the German community in Brunei.
The Day of German Unity is the national day of Germany, celebrated on October 3.
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