Relationship dossier
Brunei
India
Relationship assessment
Brunei and India maintain cooperative ties, including defense exchanges and agreements on sectoral cooperation.
Brunei toward India
+35Brunei has participated in bilateral defense cooperation with India, including through a 2016 defense cooperation agreement and related exchanges. The two governments have also pursued sectoral cooperation, including agreements concluded during the Indian prime minister’s 2024 visit to Brunei.
India toward Brunei
+35India has pursued defense exchanges and cooperation with Brunei under the 2016 defense cooperation agreement, alongside technical and training cooperation. During the Indian prime minister’s 2024 visit, India and Brunei concluded agreements including on space cooperation.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a sustained cooperative structure, supported by bilateral defense arrangements and practical exchanges, as well as agreements in other sectors. The available examples indicate ongoing engagement, but do not establish the full breadth or implementation of cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Brunei and India maintain a cooperative relationship that includes defense dialogue, training and technical cooperation. A 2016 defense cooperation agreement provided a formal basis for defense exchanges, while India’s 2024 prime-ministerial visit to Brunei produced agreements on cooperation including space. These initiatives indicate practical engagement, although the breadth and implementation of cooperation across sectors are not fully clear.
Key developments
Brunei and India signed a defense cooperation agreement, providing a basis for defense exchanges.
During the Indian prime minister’s visit to Brunei, the two governments concluded agreements including on space cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of defense cooperation and training arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of cooperation under the agreements concluded during the 2024 visit is uncertain.