Brunei

Political relations

France has very good relations with Brunei, particularly in the field of defence. France is one of the three European countries (along with Germany and the United Kingdom) to have diplomatic representation in Brunei. Bilateral political relations have experienced a notable recovery in recent years, in line with the French and European strategies for the Indo-Pacific. France is seeking to signal its willingness to re-engage in Southeast Asia, and to strengthen its ties with ASEAN, as part of the implementation of its development partnership with the organization, launched in March 2021. In 2021, when Brunei held the chairmanship of ASEAN, ministerial-level exchanges took place for the first time in more than a decade. 

Economic relations

Trade between France and Brunei remains modest: it amounts to €8 million in 2021, which makes Brunei the last trading partner of France in ASEAN. Aeronautics dominates French exports, while imports are largely made up of agricultural products. Brunei is, after Laos, the EU’s smallest partner in the ASEAN area. The negotiation of a partnership and cooperation agreement covering the entire bilateral relationship was officially launched in April 2012 before being suspended in 2014 due to the application of Sharia law and the incompatibility of human rights provisions with Quranic law (the last round of negotiations was held in February 2014).

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