The afternoon session approved the allocation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office. Prior to approving the said allocations, the session heard a statement on the allocation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among other things, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, the Second Minister of Foreign Affairs outlined the challenges faced by the country as the Chairman of ASEAN, namely the COVID-19 Pandemic. Considering the pandemic’s impact covered various aspects of life, a holistic approach is needed in the recovery effort.
The country is not alone in facing the challenges of COVID-19. This was evident in the assistance and cooperation received from several countries including Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore that contributed vaccines to Brunei Darussalam. Such assistance is the manifestation of close relations and cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and regional neighbours based on the principle of “Berat sama dipikul, Ringan sama dijinjing’ which means Working Together in Good or Hard Times.
Source: Radio Television Brunei