SINGAPORE: Singapore and Germany have agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to a” strategic partnership”, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MFA ) on Tuesday ( Nov 19 ).
This may “help promote greater peace, security, and happiness in the Asia-Pacific” location, the two nations said in a mutual declaration provided by MFA.
At the Group of 20 ( G20 ) summit in Rio de Janeiro, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz met.
Both leaders reiterated their commitment to continue working as “like-minded companions,” according to MFA in a speech.
Singapore and Germany have long-standing relationships that are rich in both substance and scope. In addition, the mutual declaration states that we” share a strong commitment to rules-based international order and multilateralism”.
Our shared desire to promote free trade and maintain an open and diverse international architecture is supported by this proper integration.
The two nations added that their relationships “encompass powerful political relations, flourishing trade and investment, significant participation in defence, safety, and research and innovation, and warm people-to-people relationships”.
” Reflecting the modern and forward-looking nature of our relationship, we are expanding our cooperation into newer places like fresh energy, climate action, connectivity, security and digitalisation”, the mutual declaration said.
STRATEGIC Association
The strategic partnership will build on the 2022 mutual charter Singapore and Germany called” Partners for a Resilient and Sustainable Potential,” and it will follow the two nations ‘ 60th anniversary in the coming year.
The mutual declaration said that it will be guided by a joint work schedule with initiatives across five pillars: Defence and security, deal and the online market, climate and fresh technology, science and innovation, and digitalisation, unnatural intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Under the defence and security pillar, both countries agreed to continue and increase high-level engagements and visits, and deepen military-to-military cooperation in areas such as digitalisation and cybersecurity.  ,
On the trade and digital economy front, they agreed to deepen economic collaboration at the government-to-government, government-to-business, and business-to-business levels through the Germany-Singapore Framework for Sustainability and Innovation signed on Nov 13, 2022.
The EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which” serves as a pathfinder for a possible future inter-regional FTA” between the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN), will also continue to receive support, according to the joint declaration.
Both nations will work more closely together on initiatives to reduce carbon emissions in the pillar climate and green technology.
This includes port-to-port cooperation, where information will be shared on zero- and near-zero emissions fuels, and safety protocols for the handling and bunkering of such fuels.
Singapore and Germany will also establish cooperation areas for decarbonization technology, carbon credit agreements, carbon taxation, and carbon pricing.
Joint research grants and projects in fields like quantum technology, green chemistry, and medical technology will be implemented under the science and innovation pillar.
Under the fifth and final pillar, which both countries described as “multi-level cooperation for the future,” they will increase support for cooperation in education through partnerships and exchanges between schools, universities, and vocational training.
Support for institutions as the Goethe-Institut Singapore’s cultural hub will help to further strengthen ties with one another.
In order to advance mutual interests in fields like digital trade, green technologies, green services, and supply chain resilience, Singapore and Germany will collaborate to strengthen region-to-region cooperation between the EU and ASEAN.
According to the joint declaration,” The respective foreign ministries will regularly review progress and refine the joint work plan accordingly to ensure that we effectively identify and pursue opportunities for cooperation.”
We will use our shared strengths and collaborate with key partners in all sectors to improve our relationship through this framework.