DPM Lawrence Wong calling on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on April 9, 2024. - MCI
BERLIN: Singapore and Germany will work towards upgrading their relations to a strategic partnership, in recognition of the “growing depth and breadth” of bilateral ties.
This was announced by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on April 9, after Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
The leaders took stock of the countries’ longstanding and multifaceted bilateral ties, which have strengthened over the decades, said MFA in a statement.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to intensify cooperation in existing and emerging areas, and exchanged views on regional and international issues.
In a social media post, DPM Wong said he was glad to have called on Scholz, and was happy that both sides agreed to work towards upgrading relations to a strategic partnership.
DPM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, is on an official visit to Germany from April 8 to 10 and France from April 10 to 13.
France is the only European Union (EU) member state that has a strategic partnership with Singapore now. Such partnerships strengthen existing ties and pave the way for new areas of bilateral cooperation.
DPM Wong also called on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on April 8.
MFA said they reaffirmed the warm and substantive partnership between Singapore and Germany and discussed ways to enhance cooperation.
They also talked about how both sides could navigate an increasingly complicated world as like-minded countries that share a common world view on multilateralism and a rules-based world order.
DPM Wong was also hosted to lunch by German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck on April 9. - The Straits Times/ANN
