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The Istana
News Releases

State Visit to Negara Brunei Darussalam and Working Visit to Switzerland by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam

15 January 2024

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STATE VISIT TO NEGARA BRUNEI DARUSSALAM AND WORKING VISIT TO SWITZERLAND BY PRESIDENT THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will make a State Visit to Negara Brunei Darussalam from 24 to 26 January 2024 at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam. This is President Tharman’s first overseas State Visit and coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Singapore’s diplomatic relations with Brunei.

  1.         President Tharman will also make a working visit to Switzerland from 16 to 21 January 2024 to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting and meet government leaders from various countries, and to co-chair the Global Commission of the Economics of Water (GCEW).

State Visit to Negara Brunei Darussalam (24 – 26 January 2024)

  1.         At his State Visit to Brunei, President Tharman will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Istana Nurul Iman and have an audience followed by a bilateral meeting with the Sultan. President Tharman will be hosted to a State Banquet by the Sultan and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha. During these engagements, President Tharman will meet senior members of the Bruneian Royal Family and Cabinet, including His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office of Negara Brunei Darussalam.

  2.         President Tharman will also visit Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel training in Brunei and meet the Singaporean community in Brunei at a reception.

  3.         President Tharman will be accompanied by Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman, Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang, Members of Parliament Mariam Jaafar and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, as well as officials from the President’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Development, and Ministry of Education.

Working Visit to Davos and Zurich, Switzerland (16 – 21 January 2024)

  1.         In Switzerland, President Tharman will visit Davos from 16 to 19 January 2024 for the WEF Annual Meeting, where he will meet government leaders from several countries, and some senior business and philanthropic leaders. He will also participate in sessions on global economic and ecological challenges and strategies, and attend a meeting of the WEF Board of Trustees.

  2.         President Tharman will continue to Zurich, Switzerland, from 19 to 21 January 2024, to co-chair the GCEW. He will also meet with several members of the Singapore community in Switzerland.

  3.         He will be accompanied by officials from the Economic Development Board, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and the President’s Office.

  4.         During President Tharman’s absence, Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers will exercise the functions of the office of President.

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
ISTANA
15 JANUARY 2024