CENTRAL ASIA
Engagement of the region – Central Asia occupies an important geostrategic position between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Singapore maintains warm relations with the Central Asian countries. Despite our different history and geographical location, Singapore and the Central Asian countries are young nations with common development goals and the desire to build up our human resources and promote a peaceful and stable regional environment for socio-economic development. These shared goals have fostered closer relations in recent years, especially with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We have a Non-Resident Ambassador accredited to both countries.
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made a State Visit to Singapore in January 2023. Then President Halimah Yacob reciprocated with a State Visit to Uzbekistan in May 2023 back-to-back with a State Visit to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reciprocated with a State Visit to Singapore in May 2024. During the State Visits of President Tokayev and President Mirziyoyev, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed several agreements with Singapore to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various areas including economic cooperation, transport, healthcare, higher education, intellectual property rights protection, legal cooperation, security cooperation, civil service training and standards. Please click these links for more details:
https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Newsroom/Press-Statements-Transcripts-and-Photos/2023/01/230117uzbeksv
Singapore regularly holds business forums with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Singapore is also party to the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EAEUSFTA), of which Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are members. In May 2023, then President Halimah and President Tokayev co-witnessed the signing of the Services and Investment (S&I) Agreement with Kazakhstan under the EAEUSFTA. This agreement facilitates market access for Singapore companies in more than 15 service sectors and the protection of investors’ interests. Please click on this link for more details: https://www.mti.gov.sg/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2023/05/Singapore-and-Kazakhstan-enhance-Economic-Cooperation-with-Services-and-Investment-Agreement.
Capacity-building is another key area of cooperation. Through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), we have shared our developmental experience with more than 1,200 participants from Central Asia. In April 2024, Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs partnered with the Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAid) to organise a pilot programme on “Effective Governance and Building a Digitally Advanced Government” for officials from the C5 countries (Kazakhstan, Kygryzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) in Astana. Please click this link for more details on the SCP: https://www.scp.gov.sg/startpublic/#!/home