Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (R) shakes hands with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah during the launch ceremony of the commemorative notes for the 50th anniversary of the Singapore-Brunei "Currency Interchangeability Agreement", held in Singapore's Istana, on July 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)
SINGAPORE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam said on Wednesday that Singapore and Brunei share similar views on the world and are bound by deep ties of friendship, the Straits Times reported.
He said the two countries can count on the strong bonds between them to remain a constant in a world made uncertain by rapid changes.
Tan also paid tribute to the special relationship between the two countries at a state banquet he was hosting in honor of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is on a two-day state visit to Singapore.
The Sultan said it is such bonds of friendship that over time has developed into robust forms of cooperation.
Earlier in the day, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the Sultan marked the golden jubilee of an agreement that allows both countries to accept the currency issued by the other and exchange them at par and without charge, into their own currency.
Lee called the agreement a hallmark of the longstanding and unique relationship between the two countries, while the Sultan said its success is a tribute to the countries' enduring friendship.
