(Bandar Seri Begawan, 12th) — A delegation of senior diplomats from the European External Action Service (EEAS), led by Deputy Managing Director for Asia and Pacific, Paola Pampaloni, recently concluded a four-day visit to Brunei, aiming to explore possibilities for advancing EU-Brunei relations through deeper cooperation.
During their visit, the delegation held meetings with Brunei’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office Energy Department, Legislative Council members, senior government officials, as well as civil society and private sector leaders.
Discussions covered a range of topics including EU-Brunei bilateral relations and EU-ASEAN relations. Brunei currently serves as the ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations Coordinator for the 2024-2027 term.
Discussions covered a range of topics including EU-Brunei bilateral relations and EU-ASEAN relations. Brunei currently serves as the ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations Coordinator for the 2024-2027 term.
In an interview, Paola Pampaloni said the EU hopes to deepen cooperation with Brunei in areas of mutual concern such as climate change, energy transition, digitalization, and technology. She pointed out that discussions with Brunei’s Prime Minister’s Office show Brunei’s commitments in climate action and energy transition are steadily increasing.
"We see huge potential for cooperation in green technology, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, where the EU has extensive experience. In particular, we discussed Brunei’s interest in expanding solar energy use and exploring clean energy solutions that align with its diversification goals."
She mentioned that the EU-Brunei Partnership Facility, established in 2022, aims to promote bilateral cooperation through policy dialogue, higher education opportunities, and people-to-people exchanges.
Paola Pampaloni believes that under Brunei’s leadership as coordinator, cooperation between the EU and ASEAN will be further strengthened. The ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit is planned for 2027, when both sides will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
She emphasized that the EU attaches great importance to its strategic partnership with ASEAN, and that Brunei has the potential to exert influence in several strategically important areas of common interest, showing keen interest in hosting the new ASEAN Climate Change Center.
"We look forward to co-hosting important events with Brunei, including the ASEAN-EU Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Brunei in 2026."
The delegation was joined by EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei, Denis Chaibi; Director for Southeast Asia and ASEAN at the EEAS, Leila Fernandez-Stembridge; and Deputy Director Simona Popan.