Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, shakes hands with the Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah during a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Thursday Dec. 19, 2024. - AP
London (PA Media/dpa): British Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the "strong relationship" between the UK and Brunei as he met Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in London.
The Prime Minister greeted the Sultan of Brunei at the door of No 10, his office on Downing Street, and then held a meeting with him in the White Room.
Starmer praised the "strong relationship" between the two countries in remarks at the start of the meeting, and said he and the sultan would talk about the renewal of the garrison agreement as well as wider issues of trade and security.
The UK has a permanent army garrison in Brunei under a deal that is renewed every five years and now up for renegotiation.
Brunei is a member of the Indo-Pacific trade bloc Britain became a member of on Sunday.
UK officials have said that joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could boost the economy by as much as £2 billion ($2.5 billion) a year compared with levels of GDP projected for 2040 without the deal. - dpa
