Relationship dossier
Brunei
Indonesia
Relationship assessment
Constructive ties supported by practical cooperation and regular bilateral engagement
Brunei toward Indonesia
+35Brunei has maintained bilateral cooperation with Indonesia on border management and maritime affairs, and has hosted Indonesian workers under bilateral arrangements. These practical areas of engagement support a cooperative assessment.
Indonesia toward Brunei
+40Indonesia has engaged in bilateral cooperation with Brunei on border management and maritime affairs and has maintained arrangements concerning Indonesian workers in Brunei. These concrete areas of cooperation support a constructive assessment.
Overall relationship
+40The enduring relationship is characterized by practical bilateral cooperation and engagement on border and maritime matters, alongside labor arrangements and ASEAN interaction. These features outweigh any prominent sustained bilateral confrontation, although the depth and implementation of specific arrangements are not fully clear.
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 Indonesia maintain a cooperative relationship supported by practical bilateral arrangements and regular engagement. Their governments have worked together on border management and maritime issues, while Brunei has hosted Indonesian workers and both countries have cooperated through ASEAN. The relationship appears broadly constructive, though the scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation are not fully clear.
Key developments
Brunei and Indonesia established bilateral arrangements addressing border cooperation.
The two governments developed cooperation on maritime affairs and related bilateral issues.
Indonesian workers have been employed in Brunei under bilateral labor arrangements.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral border and maritime cooperation are unclear.
- Details of recent high-level bilateral agreements and their implementation are limited.