Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, attended the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) in New Delhi, India, from 1 to 2 March 2023.

At the G20 FMM, the Foreign Ministers emphasised the importance of multilateralism to address transnational challenges including shoring up global supply chain resilience to ensure food and energy security, furthering cooperation on humanitarian assistance, and stepping up support to developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Minister Balakrishnan highlighted the emerging issue of bifurcation of technology and economies, and the importance of supporting multilateralism to deal with global challenges. He also underscored the need for countries to work together to counter radicalisation and terrorism in our societies. The full text of Minister Balakrishnan’s interventions are appended.

Minister Balakrishnan also met his counterparts from Australia, Brazil, European Union, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Minister Balakrishnan will be meeting India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on 3 March 2023 before departing India.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

2 MARCH 2023

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN’S INTERVENTION AT THE 2023 NEW DELHI

G20 FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETING

PLENARY SESSION ONE:

STRENGTHENING MULTILATERALISM AND NEED FOR REFORMS,

FOOD AND ENERGY SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Thank you, Dr Jaishankar, for inviting one of the smallest city states in the world to this meeting.

2 We are price-takers. We will never have the size, the clout or the power that the people at the head of this room will have. Allow me to make some candid remarks from that perspective.

3 First, the war in Ukraine needs to stop. All of us need to comply with the UN Charter and to defend the right of all nations, big or small, to have their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity fully respected.

4 Second, we do need the two biggest superpowers in the room to engage intensely and comprehensively with each other. They need to de-escalate the tensions for those of us in Asia, especially in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

5 We need the leadership of both the US and China if we are to deal with any of the global challenges that confront us. We also need to deal with this emerging issue of bifurcation of technology and economies. I understand the national security imperative to have more resilient supply chains. But bifurcation taken too far will inevitably lead to increased inflation, slower technological progress and reduced growth and cooperation.

6 All of us need to support multilateralism; not just in words, but in exercising the self-restraint to accept a rules-based regime which will not necessarily give all of us everything that we want all the time. We do need to reform the UN (United Nations) and the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO (World Trade Organization) to reflect current realities, and future and emerging needs.

7 I want to appeal especially to the WTO, because Singapore is a tiny city state where trade is three times our GDP. Even if you have disagreements, reform, but do not paralyse the WTO. I am glad that the WTO Director-General just informed me that there is some progress on getting the WTO Appellate Body moving again, I hope, in the near future.

8 Finally, we need to fulfil the Paris Agreement. We need to collectively increase our ambition if we want to deal effectively with climate change, which will inevitably also complicate food security for all of us.

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MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN’S INTERVENTION AT THE 2023 NEW DELHI

G20 FOREIGN MINISTERS’ MEETING

PLENARY SESSION TWO:

COUNTER-TERRORISM,

GLOBAL SKILL MAPPING AND TALENT POOL AND

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE/DISASTER RELIEF

1 First, let me echo the comments from my other colleagues. We express our sympathy to both Turkey and Syria for the devastating earthquakes. Natural disasters will occur from time to time. No country, no matter how well prepared, can cope all alone. This is a clear example where we do need to make common cause, especially when there is urgency to save lives as quickly as possible.

2 I also wanted to first make a point on the scourge of illegal drugs. Some of you may be aware that Singapore has one of the strictest laws, the harshest penalties for illegal drugs. Drugs are a national security, public health and law and order challenge. It reinforces our determination to continue on this path in order to keep our societies safe.

3 On terrorism, even a tiny city state, modern and compact as Singapore, has our share of people who are self-radicalised – typically young men. They do not need to travel to become radicalised; they surf the internet. We need to remain vigilant to the fact that terrorist groups are using the internet to disseminate highly polished propaganda which quite effectively radicalises young people. This is turn, can lead to lone-wolf attacks, communication with overseas cells and recruitment internationally.

4 Second, the real danger from terrorism is not just the innate damage, physical damage, or loss of lives, but the descension that causes within society - the loss of cohesion and social compact. We do need to work closely together to share intelligence and work effectively. This is another example of a transboundary threat which requires a collective approach.

5 Finally, let me end on the point of global skills. All global challenges of the future – digital revolution, terrorism, climate change, pandemic response and the economy – all of them need a young and educated population that is well trained and au fait with the latest technologies. The other thing that we have also discovered is the need for skills retraining in adults. Most people are going to have a portfolio of jobs – they are not going to have one job for the rest of their lives. Skills development is a project we are working closely with India in. We have established three skills centres in New Delhi, Rajasthan and Assam since 2012. The challenge now is to scale up.

6 Thank you, Mr Chair.

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Photo caption: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, 2 March 2023

Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore

Photo caption: Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar chairing the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, 2 March 2023

Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore

Photo caption: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan’s meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia Penny Wong on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, 1 March 2023