Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Brunei)

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Kementerian Hal Ehwal Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan
Ministry overview
Formed 1984
Jurisdiction Government of Brunei and its diplomatic missions worldwide
Headquarters Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Annual budgetIncrease2.svg$117 million BND (2018)
Ministry executives
Website www.mofat.gov.bn

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT or MoFAT; Malay : Kementerian Hal Ehwal Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan) is the cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Brunei responsible for handling Brunei's external relations, the management of its international diplomatic missions and the nation's foreign trade policy. The ministry is lead by the Minister and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade; since 2018, the incumbents are Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Erywan bin Mohd Yusof respectively. [1]

Malay language Austronesian language

Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family spoken in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. A language of the Malays, it is spoken by 290 million people across the Strait of Malacca, including the coasts of the Malay Peninsula of Malaysia and the eastern coast of Sumatra in Indonesia and has been established as a native language of part of western coastal Sarawak and West Kalimantan in Borneo. It is also used as a trading language in the southern Philippines, including the southern parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Sulu Archipelago and the southern predominantly Muslim-inhabited municipalities of Bataraza and Balabac in Palawan.

Foreign relations of Brunei

Brunei joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, one week after resuming full independence, and gives its ASEAN membership the highest priority in its foreign relations. Brunei joined the United Nations in September 1984. It also is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Commonwealth of Nations. Brunei hosted the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November 2000. In 2005 it attended the inaugural East Asia Summit.

Contents

History

Bruneian passports are issued by the ministry Brunei biometric passport.jpg
Bruneian passports are issued by the ministry

From 1888 until 1984, Brunei was a protectorate under British rule, but the nation began the foundations of a foreign ministry by creating a Diplomatic Service Department. [2] After achieving full independence from the United Kingdom in January 1984, Brunei immediately established an independent foreign ministry, then known as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry's first and only director since its foundation has been Prince Mohamed Bolkiah. [3]

British Empire States and dominions ruled by the United Kingdom

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23% of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered 35,500,000 km2 (13,700,000 sq mi), 24% of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, legal, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire, because its expanse around the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories.

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom (UK), officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is a sovereign country located off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

In 2005, the government merged the ministry with the former International Relations and Trade Department of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. The addition of "Foreign Trade" to the ministry's official name was made to reflect the full scope of its responsibilities. [3] From 2005 until 2018, Lim Jock Seng was the Second Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade. [4] The current Second Minister is Erywan Yusof. [5]

Lim Jock Seng

Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng is a Bruneian politician who served as Second Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Brunei during his tenure as Minister.

Budget

In the fiscal year 2018-19, the annual budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is 117 million Brunei dollars ($88M as of March 2018) [6] , an increase from about B$108 million in the previous fiscal year. [7]

Brunei dollar currency

The Brunei dollar, has been the currency of the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively B$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 sen (Malay) or cents (English). The Brunei dollar is issued by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Sultan reshuffles Cabinet | Borneo Bulletin Online". borneobulletin.com.bn. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  2. ↑ "Background Note: Brunei". State.gov. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 "About Us". mofat.gov.bn. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. ↑ PEHIN ORANG KAYA PEKERMA DEWA DATO SERI PADUKA LIM JOCK SENG, SECOND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS - BRUNEIresources.com
  5. ↑ "Berkenan umum pelantikan kabinet baharu". Pelita Brunei (in Malay). Department of Information, Brunei. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "XE: Convert BND/USD. Brunei Darussalam Dollar to United States Dollar". xe.com. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  7. ↑ "B$116.55M allocated to MoFAT | Borneo Bulletin Online". borneobulletin.com.bn. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
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