Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Wednesday interacted with the Indian community in Brunei.

"Continuing my engagements in Brunei, visited Belait district and interacted with Indian community. Known for its oil and gas, Belait hosts good number of Indians, who contribute significantly to the economy and energy security of Brunei," MoS Muraleedharan said in a tweet.

He is on an official visit to Brunei and Malaysia from May 30-June 2.

Muraleedharan on Tuesday tweeted: "Delighted to be in Brunei Darussalam on my first visit to this beautiful country. Look forward to my engagements including with businesses and wider Indian community."

It is estimated that over 14,000 Indians have made Brunei their home. The Indian Associations in Brunei will host cultural performances as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) celebrations, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official release.

For the first time, Muraleedharan has travelled to Brunei and he will be in Brunei from May 30-31. From Brunei, he will embark on an official visit to Malaysia from June 1-2.

In Malaysia, the MoS will have a private meeting with Malaysia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Datuk Mohamad bin Alamin. The Malaysian Minister of Human Resources, V Sivakumar will also meet with the MOS.

MOS will take part in the inauguration of the first-ever Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Day -Malaysia (Aprawasi Diwas) and will launch the PIO International Festival to be held from 2-4 June 2023.

He will address the Indian community and diaspora at the 'Pravasiya Bharatiya Utsav'. With 2.75 million PIOs, Malaysia is home to the second-largest PIO population in the world.