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On 27 April, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan. The bilateral meeting took place on a symbolic day – on this day 25 years ago, Lithuania and Brunei Darussalam established diplomatic relations.

Ministers discussed bilateral contacts, the dialogue between the EU and the countries of Southeast Asia (ASEAN), and the opportunities offered by these cooperation programmes for businesses, universities, and people-to-people contacts on both sides.

"South-East Asian countries are an important regional bloc with which the European Union is linked not only by decades of successful partnerships, but also by new opportunities that benefit our businesses and people. There is a lot of untapped potential in the areas of cyber and energy security, state digital services. In these areas, Lithuania has a lot of work to do; we have found effective solutions and have reached a high level of expertise. We are small, but fast and quickly absorbing and adapting innovations. We are ready to share this experience with your country", said Budrys.

The head of Lithuania's diplomacy invited Brunei to join the Vilnius Convention initiative aimed at ensuring a responsible use of artificial intelligence.

When discussing the possibilities of cooperation in the energy sector, the Minister mentioned the synchronization of the Baltic states' electricity networks with those of continental Europe and the final disconnection from the Russian electricity system last year.  According to him, Lithuanian expertise can be applied in the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid initiative and in the development of renewable energy projects.

The ASEAN Power Grid is one of the most important joint initiatives of Southeast Asian countries aimed at connecting the Southeast Asian electricity systems into a regional network. It aims to enhance energy security, promote the use of renewable energy, decarbonisation and ensure a more stable and reliable electricity supply across the region.

One of the key topics of the meeting was international security and the preservation of the global order based on international law. The Ministers agreed that Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the recent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have shown very clearly how, in today's globalised world, everything is closely interlinked, and instability or war in one region affects everyone. Furthermore, Budrys  asked who could better defend the world order if not the like-minded countries, for which respect for fundamental principles is a condition for maintaining sovereignty.

Budrys invited Brunei to support Ukraine in votes at the United Nations General Assembly.

In Brunei, Lithuania's Foreign Minister participates in the EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.

Photo: Brunei's MFA.