Brunei to study proposals to ease travel restrictions

IT is important to slowly gain back the confidence that was lost in terms of international and regional travel, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs II Datuk Erywan Pehin Mohd Yusof.

He highlighted this in response to a question on the offer from some countries to allow people from Brunei to visit their countries.

He said Singapore and China offered limited and restricted travel for their citizens into the country, specifically for government officials and businessmen.

“When they submitted the offers, we began internal discussions looking at the criteria they proposed and then considered whether we could go along with the proposals or if we could make counter proposals,” he said during a press conference at the health ministry yesterday.

About the timeframe for the government’s decision on the offers, Erywan said, “I wouldn’t put a timeframe to it yet.

“I think it is more about both countries being comfortable with the offer and the counterproposals.”

He said as the two countries had officially made the offers to the Foreign Affairs Ministry through its government agencies, the health ministry, the foreign affairs ministry, the home affairs ministry and the prime minister’s office would consider the offers in terms of appropriateness, the country’s preparation, as well as the preparations of the other countries.

“With such offers, we will see if we are willing to accept their terms as well,” the minister added.

“This matter should be looked at through the conditions they apply and the conditions that we can probably counter.”