On behalf of American people, I congratulate the people of Brunei Darussalam on the occasion of your National Day.
The United States and Brunei have enjoyed a long-lasting and prosperous friendship since we signed our treaty of Peace, Friendship, Commerce and Navigation over 170 years ago. I am proud of our exemplary cooperation which is based on our mutual desire for peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. I look forward to working closely with your government both bilaterally and in multilateral fora, especially during Brunei’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year. Brunei’s ASEAN chair theme of “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper” reflects the shared interest of the United States, Brunei, and ASEAN in building back better together from the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States welcomed the ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific and looks forward to supporting Brunei and ASEAN in realizing the organization’s goals and advancing our shared vision for the region.
Please accept our warm wishes and congratulations.