India, Brunei to sign MoU for cooperation in defence today

India and Brunei will sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on defence on Tuesday afternoon here.

As per reports, agreements on health and youth affairs and sports will also be signed after the talks between Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari with Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah and crown prince Al-Muhtadee Billlah.

Vice President Hamid Ansari is on a five-day visit to Brunei and Thailand.

Brunei is home for over 10,000 Indian diaspora, many of them professionals in the fields of education and health. There is enormous goodwill for India, as the country of a little over four lakh people had very long historical and cultural ties.

The possibility of pushing up cooperation in upstream and downstream hydrocarbons sector is also being considered by both the countries. Today's agreements with Brunei are expected to bolster the already existing warm bilateral relations.