Shehbaz, Singaporean FM discuss expanded economic cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held talks with Singaporean Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to explore opportunities for expanding bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed strengthening collaboration in several key sectors, including the digital economy, financial technology, infrastructure, logistics, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and services.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz highlighted Singapore’s economic progress and achievements in innovation and development. He said Pakistan attached importance to its longstanding partnership with Singapore and wanted to further strengthen ties at bilateral, regional and international levels.

The prime minister also stressed the need to identify new areas of economic cooperation and increase people-to-people contacts. Both leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments and agreed to maintain cooperation through various international forums.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate talks with Balakrishnan, focusing on trade, investment, regional connectivity, skills development and business exchanges.

The two foreign ministers reviewed relations between the countries as Pakistan and Singapore mark 60 years of diplomatic ties. They also discussed cooperation through multilateral platforms and Pakistan’s engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), particularly ahead of Singapore’s assumption of the organisation’s chairmanship in 2027.

During the visit, Dar and Balakrishnan also exchanged a memorandum of understanding on disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Singapore’s Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in disaster preparedness, emergency response and resilience against natural disasters.

The two ministers also discussed regional and international developments, with Dar emphasising the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving disputes and promoting lasting peace and stability.

Balakrishnan arrived in Islamabad at the invitation of Dar for official talks covering the full range of bilateral relations and cooperation at regional and international forums.