S’pore Continues to Maintain Good Relations With Key Partners Even During COVID-19

The following thought may cross our minds when entering a new school or workplace: I hope to make some friends. Even better if said friends become people you can trust and vice versa.

Maintaining good inter-country relationships is kind of like the upgraded version of that, only vastly more crucial.

And while Singapore is in talks about building even more connections, we’re not doing too shabby now either.

S’pore Continues to Maintain Good Relations With Key Partners Even During COVID-19

In fact, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament on Monday (1 Mar) that we’ve managed to maintain a good reputation over the last year.

This was together with Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Chee Hong Tat.

There is quite a bit to get through, so we’ve picked out several of them. Here are some key countries and regions that Singapore has remained friendly with.

1. Malaysia

Dr Maliki has said that we still have good communication with our closest neighbour.

In the early days of the pandemic, Singapore appreciated Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s assurance that supplies from Malaysia would not be disrupted, even with the country’s lockdown.

They’ve also cooperated on the following:

• Helping each other’s citizens return home from overseas.
• Working together to facilitate Singaporeans’ travel into Malaysia for essential and compassionate reasons.
• Providing short-term housing for Malaysians working in Singapore.

Despite our differences, both countries have settled them amicably and will continue cooperation in other areas.

2. Indonesia

Singapore’s relationship with Indonesia is still strong amidst COVID-19 and spans sectors such as trade, investment, tourism, security and education.

Singapore has also been Indonesia’s largest foreign investor since 2014, continuing the trend from last year.

Leaders on both sides have maintained close ties despite the pandemic, and bilateral economic projects have maintained a “strong momentum”.

Both countries still discuss issues such as the management of the Flight Information Region, as well as military training.

3. Brunei

Dr Maliki said both countries have had strong bonds for a long time.

This is evidenced by the strong defence cooperation between both countries, as well as the currency interchangeability agreement.

More recently, both countries have signed agreements to cooperate on social development, as well as agri-food and agro-technology.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat also travelled to Brunei to offer condolences on the passing of Brunei Prince “Abdul” Azim in November.

4. India and ASEAN

Dr Maliki hopes India and Singapore can continue collaborating on a few areas. Particularly, the digital economy and financial technology.

Singapore has also been one of India’s largest foreign investors over the last few years. Similarly, investments in us from India have also gone up by several billion over the last decade.

He also says that as a whole, the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have gotten closer.

A key point brought up was the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which saw new opportunities for mutual trade and investment.

Dr Maliki feels the RCEP will encourage greater trade flows and open new opportunities for businesses and people.

5. The Middle East

As previously reported, Singapore is in the midst of exploring and enhancing political and economic collaboration with partners in the Middle Eastern region.

The Government will still monitor the Covid-19 situation and assess when it will be safe for Muslims to travel overseas for the haj and umrah pilgrimages.

Dr Maliki said Israel and a number of Arab countries have normalised relations since last August, while Qatar restored ties with its neighbours in January.

6. United States

Dr Balakrishnan said that American companies and enterprise remain key engines for global growth, with companies continuing to lead the digital revolution.

Around 85 per cent of the United States’ total investments in Southeast Asia are in Singapore too, resulting in many good jobs here.

“You understand why our relationship with the US remains crucial.”

He also noted that the US military presence has underpinned regional peace and stability for more than half a century.

7. China

Mr Chee noted how Singapore and China have opportunities to learn from each other, as well as room for mutual cooperation and the exchange of views.

While Singapore is in a good position to build bridges with China, more is needed beyond just knowing Mandarin (barely) and understanding their culture.

China is also Singapore’s largest trading partner, while Singapore is China’s largest foreign investor.

Both countries also helped each other during the pandemic, which makes good relations between the two extra important.

Mr Chee said Singapore must not take relations with China for granted, and that both should regularly renew and deepen their friendship.

8. Emerging Markets

Singapore aims to cooperate more with emerging markets like those in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Several large trade agreements are on the table, including the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Within Latin America, Singapore hopes to conclude free trade deals with the Pacific Alliance, comprising of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

The same plan goes for the Mercosur, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

For a full list of Singapore’s key partners, click here.

Feature Image: hxdbzxy / Shutterstock.com