20 August 2005 - His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, continued his itineraries on the visit to the Republic of Singapore with a four-eye meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. The meeting with His Excellency George Yeo took place at the Foreign Affairs Ministry at the city state.

His Royal Highness then proceeded to the signing of a Double Taxation Agreement between the governments of His Majesty and Singapore. His Royal Highness said the accord takes cooperation between both governments to a higher level. It also shows the kind of spirit in which Brunei and Singapore have always worked for. Both countries agreed that economic development involves competition, but at the same time, it does not stop the two sides from helping each other as close friends and partners.

Meanwhile, His Excellency George Yeo said that the strong ties between the two nations go back to the days before independence, and that the agreement they signed is part of the process of deepening their economic ties. His Royal Highness and His Excellency signed the pact on behalf of their respective governments. The Double Taxation Agreement helps business and investors to meet the challenges of globalisation by providing them with a measure of certainty and stability in their tax affairs. It also aims to eliminate the double taxation of income or gains arising in one state and paid to residents of another. Brunei and Singapore had their final negotiations on the agreement in April this year in Bandar Seri Begawan.

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, His Royal Highness proceeded to the Istana to meet with Singapore’s Senior Minister, His Excellency Goh Chok Tong for a four-eye meeting. There are a number of ongoing cooperation and interaction between the two nations, such as in the field of defence, health, education, broadcasting, air services, telecommunications, technical assistance and environment. Meanwhile, Her Royal Highness Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Zariah joined Mrs. Jennifer Yeo, the wife of Foreign Minister for a morning tea.

Later in the day, His Royal Highness went to the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, IDSS. The institute was established in July 1996 as an autonomous research centre within the Nanyang Technological University. Among its objective is to conduct research on security, strategic and international issues.