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Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore and Maldives to cooperate on sustainability
PM Lawrence Wong shaking hands with Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu during a state visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 30. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG SINGAPORE - Singapore and Maldives - both small island countries vulnerable to climate change - have signed an agreement to work together on sustainability and t he environment. In the afternoon of June 30, they also inked two other agreements to cooperate on capacity building and technical and vocational education training. These would allow the two countries to explore study visits, bilateral exchanges and share knowledge. The signing was witnessed by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, who is in Singapore for a three-day state visit till July 2. The visit marks the 50th year of diplomatic relations between both countries. It is Dr Muizzu's first visit to Singapore in his current capacity , and the fifth high-level visit by a Maldivian president. Speaking at a state banquet later on June 30 , President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Singapore and the Maldives feel the impact of global shifts more acutely than most, not least in the effects of climate change. 'Rising seas, increased warming and extreme weather, and increasingly fragile natural ecosystems pose a fundamental threat to all nations, but impact small island states in unique ways,' he added. The banquet was held at The Fullerton Hotel in honour of Dr Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. They are accompanied on the trip by nine cabinet ministers and other senior government officials. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu shaking hands with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the state visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 30. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Mr Tharman said Singapore and the Maldives are close partners in more ways than the countries' small size might suggest. 'We both rely on the world for trade, ideas, and growth. And we both share the instinct that if we stay open and outward-looking, and keep investing in our people, we can chart our own course, and turn our constraints as island states into opportunity,' he said. He noted that the Maldives has established itself as a world-renowned destination for luxury tourism, and is building deep expertise in sustainability and marine conservation. Singapore has harnessed its human capital and geography to become a global hub for trade, finance, and innovation, he added. Mr Tharman highlighted opportunities to deepen cooperation, citing areas like training for hospitality and sustainable tourism practices, as well as in the export of seafood and other products from the Maldives. Singapore can help expand Maldives' reach in East Asia, using its logistics networks and cold chain capabilities - needed in handling temperature-sensitive goods - to ensure short lead-time-to-market, lower logistics costs, and product integrity, he said. Before attending the state banquet, Dr Muizzu received a ceremonial welcome and called on Mr Tharman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He and PM Wong also met to discuss opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation, including a bilateral investment treaty. Dr Muizzu and Mrs Sajidha also visited the National Orchid Garden in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where a new orchid hybrid was named in their honour. (From left) Mrs Tan, Minister Tan Kiat How, First Lady of the Maldives Sajidha Mohamed, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu during the orchid naming ceremony held at the National Orchid Garden on June 30. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Most of Singapore's investments in Maldives are in tourism, with Banyan Tree and Hotel Properties being the largest investors. In 2024, bilateral trade amounted to $351.9 million. The new agreement on sustainability and the environment covers areas such as climate change negotiation, environmental protection, waste and wastewater management, and weather forecasting and climate science. Under the agreement, both countries will explore study visits, bilateral exchanges and share knowledge on topics of mutual interest. Under the two-year memorandum of agreement (MOU) on capacity building, Singapore will offer customised study visits for government officials from Maldives. These will cover areas such as sustainable development, economic development and public administration. Over 1,600 Maldives officials have been trained under the Singapore Cooperation Programme so far, mainly in finance, public administration, governance and law, and economic development. The Singapore Cooperation Programme was established in 1992. It allows foreign officials to sign up for courses that the Government supports. The MOU between Singapore's Institute of Technical Education (ITE), and Maldives' Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, aims to strengthen cooperation in higher education, educational policy, technical and vocational education and training, and research. It will focus on joint curriculum development, sharing of best practices, capacity building for higher education institutions in the Maldives, and enhancing the quality and relevance of vocational training. Maldives Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu shake hands after signing a MOU on Cooperation in Sustainability and the Environment on June 30. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Key areas of cooperation include faculty and student exchanges, joint research initiatives, collaborative academic programmes, and policy dialogue. The five-year MOU also supports professional development through executive education, immersion attachments, and training in educational planning and governance. To commemorate the 50th year of diplomatic ties between both countries, SingPost and the Maldives Post have also jointly released a set of stamps. Featured on the stamps are Singapore's Lazarus Island and Hulhudhoo of the Maldives. The stamps were unveiled by Mr Tharman and Dr Muizzu at Fullerton Hotel before the banquet. During their visit, Dr Muizzu and his delegation will also participate in a high-level investment forum organised by Invest Maldives. In addition, they will visit Tuas Port, ITE Central and URA Gallery to understand Singapore's experiences in port management, vocational education, urban planning and housing development. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AU Financial Review
23-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
AFR Asia Summit 2025
Asia Summit Date: Tuesday September 9 Location: The Fullerton Hotel Sydney In-person For more information, visit the Summit website. Asia's growth is unstoppable, but so are the risks. Can Australia stay competitive in a region undergoing rapid technological transformation? How will shifting trade policies, energy security concerns, and defence collaboration shape investment decisions?
NDTV
30-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Watch: Emmanuel Macron Gets A Taste Of Singapore Hawker Culture
French President Emmanuel Macron had the chance to sample Singapore's famous hawker and street food culture recently. As part of his maiden state visit to the country, the President accompanied Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Lau to Pa Sat, the iconic hawker centre. In a video shared by the Singapore PM, both of them can be seen walking through this locality. They greeted vendors and people around them, and also stopped to taste some of the local delicacies. In one part of the video, Macron and Wong try what look to be soup dumplings served by a particular hawker. "How do you find the taste?' Macron is asked. He replies that it's "very good." Also Read: Here's What French President Emmanuel Macron Ate On His Trip To India After their street food adventure, they had dinner at The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, as shown in the same video posted by PM Wong. Part of the caption reads, "We began with a visit to Lau Pa Sat to experience Singapore's vibrant hawker culture and local flavours. Over dinner, we had a wide-ranging and fruitful discussion on global and regional developments." Take a look below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lawrence Wong (@lawrencewongst) More About Lau Pa Sat: Lau Pa Sat, literally meaning "Old Market," is also known as Telok Ayer Market. It was rebuilt in its present location in the downtown core area in 1894. It is one of the most famous cultural landmarks in the city, and it has significantly evolved over the years. The Victorian-era architecture of the building is quite distinctive, featuring structures made of cast iron. Today, Lau Pa Sat is mainly known for its food hawkers. It houses numerous stalls selling various kinds of local Singaporean delicacies and other street-style favourites, including dishes like satay, chicken rice and char kway teow. One of the most popular attractions here is "Satay Street. Boon Tat Street is closed to traffic from 7 pm onwards. The place is then opened for people to dine al-fresco and relish the satay treats grilled on open flames by many vendors. Also Read: 5 Hawker Centres You Must Visit When In Singapore
AsiaOne
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Jiro Wang at Merlion Park and Mandai Rainforest Resort after Lady Gaga's Singapore concert, Entertainment News
Former Fahrenheit band member Jiro Wang was spotted at the Merlion Park yesterday (May 27), a few days after he attended Lady Gaga's concert on May 24. In multiple posts on Xiaohongshu yesterday, the 43-year-old Taiwanese singer-actor is seen posing for photos at the tourist attraction. Some fans also approached him for photos there and at a building near The Fullerton Hotel, which he obliged to. Since last weekend, Jiro has also been posting Instagram Stories of him staying at a hotel overlooking a lush forest. While he only tagged his location as Singapore, from the photos he shared, the accommodation appeared to be the Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, which just opened in April. Jiro was seen at Lady Gaga's Singapore concert last Saturday, taking selfies with multiple fans. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JIRO 汪東城 (@jirorocker) After the event, as he was waiting for his transportation outside the National Stadium, fans crowded around him to ask for selfies. He posed for photos and waved to them, bidding them goodbye. [[nid:718367]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
FTA with Pacific Alliance opens doors to new opportunities for S'pore businesses: Alvin Tan
State Minister for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan (centre) said the pact 'fosters an environment of predictability and fairness'. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR FTA with Pacific Alliance opens doors to new opportunities for S'pore businesses: Alvin Tan SINGAPORE – The free trade agreement between Singapore and the Pacific Alliance will serve as a platform for Singapore's businesses to access new markets and new opportunities in Latin America, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan on May 7. Speaking at a dinner at The Fullerton Hotel to commemorate the recent entry into force of the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (PASFTA) for Singapore, Chile and Peru, Mr Tan said the pact 'fosters an environment of predictability and fairness, which is crucial for our investors and businesses to make decisions, operate with confidence and thrive'. The FTA will give Singapore companies greater access to the Pacific Alliance countries – Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru – that are collectively deemed the world's ninth-largest economy, with a total population of 235 million. The four countries of the Pacific Alliance have a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$2.7 trillion (S$3.5 trillion) in nominal terms, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total GDP of the Latin America and Caribbean region, according to the World Bank. The PASFTA was signed on Jan 26, 2022. Singapore ratified the agreement in July that year, and Peru in February 2023. Chile ratified the pact in March 2025, bringing the PASFTA into force for the three countries on May 3. Mr Tan said that beyond the PASFTA, Singapore and its partners in Latin America are engaging in the avoidance of double taxation agreements, as well as frameworks to facilitate digital trade and green economy collaboration. 'These are ongoing efforts to further expand the network of trade-enabling agreements between Singapore and Latin America,' he said. The PASFTA will scrap most tariffs on goods traded between partner countries, and improve the transparency and efficiency of Customs procedural processing. Singapore service suppliers and investors will be treated as favourably as those from the Pacific Alliance. Also, Singapore firms will not be required to appoint individuals of any particular nationality to senior management. Singapore is already an FTA partner with Chile and Mexico through the existing Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and with Peru through the CPTPP and the bilateral Peru-Singapore FTA. The Ministry of Trade and Industry said Singapore's bilateral trade with the Pacific Alliance in 2024 was $12.5 billion. Some top traded products include electric machinery, refined metal products, cocoa products, wine and seafood. About 100 Singapore companies are already operating across the Pacific Alliance markets, mostly in sectors such as technology and the digital economy, food trade, infrastructure, and port management and logistics. Experts believe increased access to relatively new markets will be critical for Singapore companies at a time when the world's largest economy – the US – has turned hostile towards the global trading order it helped establish after World War II. Amid the turmoil, Singapore has vowed to continue strengthening multilateralism and free trade, and seek new opportunities in less-explored markets for its businesses. Mr Tan said Singapore and its trade partners are 'sailing through stormy conditions and choppy waters', and that geopolitical tensions are rising, trade barriers are going up, supply chains are fracturing, and businesses are navigating a volatile and uncertain world. 'In today's environment, the PASFTA takes on added significance as a reminder to all of us of the importance of international engagement and cooperation, and of upholding rules-based trade,' he said. Mr Francisco Tenya Hasegawa, Peru's Ambassador to Singapore, said his country looks forward to not only deepening commercial ties but also cooperation in environmental and strategic spheres with the Republic. He said Peru offers traders and investors world-class infrastructure, such as the Chancay Megaport, ready to receive and dispatch large vessels en route to Asia. Peru also has vast resources in different areas such as agriculture, poultry, fishery foods and superfoods, as well as rare minerals, and precious and semi-precious metals. 'The table is set. Let us seize this moment to expand markets, share innovation and grow together,' the ambassador said. Chile's Ambassador Tamara Villanueva said her country already has a strong presence in Asean markets, with more than 275 products from fresh fruits to seafood, and with the possibility of expanding this list to over 3,000 products in the future. She said Chile is positioning itself as a key enabler of the global energy transition by advancing sustainable mining practices and using its rich reserves of essential minerals, not just copper and lithium, but also molybdenum and rare earths needed for green technologies. The PASFTA – Singapore's 28th FTA – is a comprehensive agreement containing 25 chapters, including trade in goods, services and investment, small and medium-sized enterprises, good regulatory practices for trade and investment, and electronic commerce. It is also Singapore's first FTA with a chapter on international maritime transport services. This chapter aims to enhance physical connectivity between partner countries and facilitate the exchange of best practices and training opportunities. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
