Joint Press Statement on the Initialling of the European Union - Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, 14 October 2013

The European Union (EU) and Singapore presented today the text of the EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (ESPCA).  Chief negotiators Seamus Gillespie (EU) and Simon Wong (Singapore) initialled the text at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore.

The Agreement is an important step ahead in bilateral relations between the EU and Singapore.  It will strengthen political dialogue and set the framework for cooperation in a broad range of areas, such as education, transport, energy, as well as science and technology.

Relations between Singapore and the EU have seen a significant strengthening in recent years.  The ESPCA is a joint endeavour, which will further deepen EU-Singapore relations beyond the realm of trade and investment.  It will complement the Free Trade Agreement, which was initialled by the EU and Singapore on 20 September 2013.  Taken together, these two agreements give the EU and Singapore a platform to bring their relations to a new, higher level.

The initialling follows the conclusion of negotiations, which had been welcomed by Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the European Commission and Mr. K. Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law at their meeting in Singapore on 1 June 2013.  The signing of the ESPCA will take place on a mutually agreed date, after the completion of internal procedures necessary on both sides.  It will enter into force once it has been ratified by both parties.

The EU welcomed the successful visit by Minister Shanmugam to the European Parliament on 9-10 September 2013.  Both sides will continue their dialogue on priority issues of mutual interest covered by the ESPCA.


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EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE, EUROPEAN UNION
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
14 OCTOBER 2013