His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam greatly values the longstanding and friendly relations between Brunei Darussalam and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This is among the contents of His Majesty's congratulatory message to His Excellency General Pervez Musharraf, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the occasion of the Republic's Pakistan Day. In the message, His Majesty also expressed the hope to work closely with His Excellency General Pervez Musharraf to deepen and widen the scope of these relations in the years ahead.

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam also hoped that His Excellency General Pervez Musharraf, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan would always remain in good health and happiness and for the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to always enjoy continued progress and prosperity.

In a message to His Excellency Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, His Majesty congratulated His Excellency, the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. His Majesty expressed his satisfaction with the warm and friendly relations that had been long established between the two countries, and wished that this would be maintained and enhanced in the future for the mutual benefit of the two countries and peoples. His Majesty prays to Allah Subahanahu Wata'ala the Almighty for the continued good health and happiness of His Excellency Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamad Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs also sent a congratulatory message to His Excellency Mian Khurshud Mahmud Kasuri, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the occasion of the Republic Day of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In the message, His Royal Highness congratulates His Excellency, the government and people of Pakistan on their Republic Day. His Royal Highness also expresses his appreciation on the close friendship and cooperation, and the recent visits by the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Riaz Khorkhar and General Ehsan Ul Haq, and His Royal Highness looks forward to continuing working together in enhancing the much valued ties.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, The Crown Prince consented to receive in audience the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of France.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince received His Excellency Mr. Thierry Borja De Mozota at Istana Nurul Iman Tuesday. His Excellency was previously France's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Brunei Darussalam and concluded his service last year.

Present at the audience was the Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office, Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Dani.

Parents intending to send their children for further studies abroad are advised to choose institutions which are recognised by the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Dipertuan of Brunei Darussalam. The reminder was made by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education while officiating the Study in Australia Exhibition 2005 Tuesday.

Dato Paduka Sheikh Haji Adnan in his opening address said Brunei Darussalam places great importance on education and every effort is made to ensure that the quality of education provided in its education institutions is of high standards. Brunei Darussalam's attention is not only focused on its ability to provide quality infrastructure, facilities, curriculum and teachers, but its concern is also focused on the country's education system. He also said the introduction of an integrated curriculum in the primary schools will help achieve the country's aims in producing citizens that are balanced in their development.

Apart from visiting the exhibits of the various institutions from Australia, visitors can also attend seminars being organised in conjunction with the educational fair. The Ministry of Education's statistics for Brunei Darussalam students studying abroad shows that from 2000 to 2005, more than 400 students had opted to study in Australian Educational institutions.

The fair represents Australia's commitment to supporting a broad choice for young Bruneians as they embark on the next exciting step in their education. The two-day exhibition is being held at the SEAMEO VOCTECH in Gadong.

The Brunei Board of Halal Import permit section of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, after thorough investigation, has assured the public that those sausage products suspected of being enclosed in non-halal casings were never imported into Brunei markets.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs said that it will continue to monitor and observe those suspected sausage products. Due to legal measures, the names of those suspected products cannot be disclosed until after full investigation by the Malaysian Police.

The allegations came after Malaysian Muslim Consumers' Association, PPIM, with enforcement officers from the Malaysian Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and Islamic Development Department, Jakim, officials looked into several factories in Malaysia which manufacture the sausages. The reports said some food manufacturers in Malaysia have been hauled up by the authorities on suspicion of allegedly using non-halal casing, such as pig's intestines, for their sausage products and abused halal logos by printing on the packets and boxes of the disputed food products.

The ASEAN region has been recorded as one of the fastest growing regions in the world with an annual average growth of about 7.4 percent in terms of container movement. The region recorded about 40 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units or TEUs container port demand and about 20 million TEUs transhipment in 2002.

By the year 2015, Ocean Shipping Consultant estimates about 53 million TEUS in the ASEAN Import/Export Demand while transhipment is about 38 million TEUs. ASEAN is at the maritime crossroads of East and West. Improvements in efficiency of ASEAN ports and shipping services, together with improvements in land transport access, offer greater scope for increasing trade competitiveness of the region. Ports, as one of the transport nodes in the supply chain, need to be managed and run, so as to enhance their efficiency and competitiveness.

The growth of maritime trade calls for modern container terminals with efficient operations. Brunei Darussalam as the 6th member country of the ASEAN Port Association, APA for short, reiterates its commitments in participating actively in the programmes, projects and activities of the APA in promoting and enhancing safe, secure, efficient, competitive and orderly maritime transport in the ASEAN region.

This was stated by the Director of Ports, Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahman bin Pengiran Seri Indera Pengiran Haji Ismail on opening the ASEAN Ports Association Seminar on Exchange in Port Development Projects: Operating a Safe, Secure and Efficient APA Ports, Tuesday.

The two-day seminar is being attended by thirty delegates consisting of government officials and representatives of seven APA member countries with Myanmar as observer. The seminar aimed to foster stronger cooperation among ASEAN port members.