We need foreign skills to stay competitive.

The nation will benefit in the long term if it continues to be open to foreign expertise. This will help the country to establish its business culture and environment faster, based on international best practice.

Brunei Darussalam is one of the oldest kingdoms in South East Asia.

There is no conflict between favouring Islamic and traditional values and being more open and international.

Asean is obviously a very important association for us. Over the past 30 years Asean has made great strides in regional cooperation covering a number of areas, although recently it has been under strain because of the financial crisis and other challenges.

Today, bilateral relations with Britain are excellent, with cooperation in many areas and both countries continuing to work on strengthening these ties.

As a small country, both in size and population, our future hinges on the quality of our people.