On Thursday we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Singapore, which is an important milestone in the history of our bilateral cooperation, Kazinform has learned from the press service of the Kazakh MFA. Over the past three decades, our countries have strengthened relations based on close political contacts, mutually beneficial economic cooperation and friendly ties between the peoples of Kazakhstan and Singapore.
The political dialogue at the highest level is the basis of stable friendly relations between the two countries. The visit of Singapore’s First Prime Minister, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in September 1991 laid the foundation for political dialogue and set priorities for bilateral cooperation. It has been repeatedly noted that Kazakhstan considers Singapore as an important political and economic partner in Southeast Asia. The signing in 2003 of the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the ministries of industry and trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Singapore marked the beginning of the formation of a legal framework between the two countries.
Kazakhstan and Singapore adhere to the same or similar positions on key global and regional issues. The parties pursue a multidirectional, balanced foreign policy based on the promotion of national interests while maintaining strategic relations with key world powers and ensuring a peaceful external belt for sustainable internal development. Visits by representatives of government agencies from Kazakhstan and Singapore to exchange experiences, pursue professional development, and participate in internships have become a tradition. Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore is a strategic partner of the Graduate School of Public Policy of the Nazarbayev University.
Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Singapore regularly conducts cultural and humanitarian events. Among the largest of them is an international exhibition dedicated to the national culture of Kazakhstan, held in the world-famous “Gardens by the Bay” from October 7 to November 14, 2021 under the auspices of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Singapore is one of Kazakhstan’s important trading partners in ASEAN. In 2022, the volume of mutual trade amounted to 1.9 billion US dollars. The gross inflow of direct investments from Singapore to Kazakhstan last year amounted to 310 million US dollars, and for the period from 2005 to 2022 amounted to 1.4 billion US dollars. There are around 119 enterprises with the participation of Singapore companies operating in Kazakhstan. Surbana Jurong Singapore engineering company in partnership with domestic investors, continues to participate in the implementation of the large-scale project “G4 City” for the construction of four new satellite cities in the Almaty region.
Over 30 years of successful cooperation between Kazakhstan and Singapore, the relations between the two countries have become an example of an effective and mutually beneficial partnership established for the benefit of the peoples and for the prosperity of the two countries.