| Lyna Mohamad |
HER Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, yesterday graced the launching of the Commemorative Gallery Exhibition hosted by the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Brunei Darussalam, to mark the 34th anniversary of the visit 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 to the Sultanate of Oman, in 1984.
Held at the Royal Regalia Museum in the capital, the launching ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and a Doa, which was followed with a speech by Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashel bin Rashed bin Hashel Al-Maskari, the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Brunei Darussalam.
“Apart from commemorating the resounding success achieved in the bilateral relations over the course of the past 34 years, in light of the visits of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the event is also a worthy opportunity to celebrate the many obvious similarities in the leadership styles of Sultan Qaboos bin Said and His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam that originate from the commonalities shared by our two brotherly countries,” he said.
“We take great pride in the fact that Oman and Brunei are the only two Sultanates officially recognised by the United Nations,” he added.
“Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam on March 24, 1984, the bilateral relations have always enjoyed steady development, and have attained remarkable achievements in various fields of cooperation.
“This process was greatly elevated by the official visits by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to the Sultanate of Oman on three separate occasions, where the first visit in 1984 laid a strong foundation for establishing Oman-Brunei relations; and the second in the following year, contributed further to the bilateral cooperation and understanding, as the two governments worked together to promote their mutual interests and achievement of their common goals.
“His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s third state visit, which took place in 2009, saw the opening of wider horizons of fruitful cooperation between the two brotherly countries in many fields, one of which was an agreement on establishing the Oman-Brunei Investment Company with a capital of US$100 million shared equally between the two governments, and based in the capital city of Muscat.
“Today, the Oman-Brunei Investment Company is a role model of joint investments between Sovereign Funds in both countries, and has a diversified portfolio of investments which includes sectors such as Healthcare, Hospitality, Infrastructure, and Manufacturing.
“With the visits of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to the Sultanate of Oman being the main focus of this event, attention is also accorded to other official visits made by senior members of the two royal families, which played a key role in strengthening the bonds between the two brotherly countries.”
Sheikh Ahmed also noted Her Royal Highness’ visits to the Sultanate of Oman on several occasions, during her tenure as the co-chairperson of the Bilateral Consultative Meetings.
“It was during these visits that Her Royal Highness orchestrated the expanding of Oman-Brunei bilateral relations, thus enabling the two Sultanates to proceed forward with confidence and open new horizons in the development of friendly relations,” he said.
“Rolling back the years to when the Omani Cultural Days was officiated by Her Royal Highness in 2014, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, we are delighted that Her Royal Highness is able to join us for the second time in celebrating the cherished friendship and solid relations between Oman and Brunei.”
He described Her Royal Highness’ contribution to the advancement of bilateral relations as “immense and highly regarded”, having chaired the first sessions of the Bilateral Consultative Meetings from 1993 until 2002, together with His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq Al-Said, who was then the Secretary General of Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Those meetings turned out to be very successful, and to date, 18 sessions have taken place, alternating between the capital cities of Bandar Seri Begawan and Muscat, which have provided a useful platform to review progress in various fields and identify opportunities for future cooperation between our two brotherly countries,” he said.
“We are grateful that our bilateral relations have maintained a momentum of steady development. We are proud that our two Sultanates share common interests in a wide range and broad space for cooperation.”
Sheikh Ahmed concluded his speech by assuring a firm alliance between the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Brunei Darussalam and the Brunei Government, to elevate Oman-Brunei cooperation to greater heights, and to explore new opportunities in further strengthening bilateral ties.
Following the official launching yesterday by Her Royal Highness, the exhibition gallery will remain open for public viewing at the Royal Regalia Museum until the end of May.