The government of Brunei has decided to increase the number of scholarships granted to Maldives. The decision was made following discussions held during the official trip of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives Abdulla Shahid to Brunei.
As part of the trip, Foreign Minister Shahid had an audience with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. During his audience with the Sultan, Minister Shahid conveyed the best wishes from the president, government and the people of Maldives. The minister also expressed the desire of Maldives to further strengthen people-to-people contacts between the two countries. He also took the opportunity to thank Sultan Bolkiah for the generous offer of full scholarships extended by Brunei, which are contributing to the development of human resources of Maldives.
Since Maldives and Brunei share common views on a range of international issues, Minister Shahid assured the Maldives, Brunei relations will reach new heights in the years to come. He conveyed the importance Maldives places in promoting Islamic values and strengthening political and economic ties with member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Foreign Minister Shahid further reiterated the shared membership of both countries in the Commonwealth of Nations offer increased opportunities and avenues for cooperation in the multilateral fora on a wide range issues that are of national and international concern.