Singapore-Australia Ministerial Committee Meets in Canberra

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Canberra, 1 May 2023 (TDI): The 13th meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC), which was held in Canberra, Australia, on May 1, 2023.

This meeting had participation from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Defence, Dr. Ng Eng Hen, and Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. Gan Kim Yong.

Richard Marles, the deputy prime minister and minister for defense, Penny Wong, the minister of foreign affairs, and Don Farrell, the minister of trade and tourism and extraordinary minister of state, spoke on behalf of Australia.

The Ministers released a Joint Communique outlining the main conclusions of the 13th SAJMC meeting.

The Ministers reiterated that Singapore and Australia’s strategic convergence and economic complementarities support the special status of their bilateral relations.

Also read: Cambodia, Australia to Boost Cooperation in Public Administration Reform.

The Ministers observed positive developments in the six CSP (Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership) pillars: people-to-people, digital economy, green economy, defense and security, research, and innovation.

They praised the historic Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement (SAGEA) for being signed in October 2022 and anticipated its implementation would spur the development of green industries and advance decarbonization.

They urged authorities to expedite talks in this crucial new area of cooperation after taking notice of the progress achieved by the Supply Chains Working Group, which was created in 2022 to promote collaboration in supply chain resilience for food, energy security, connectivity, and disaster response.

The Singapore Ministers praised Australia’s pledge to be a dependable gas supplier to Singapore.

The Ministers also observed the progress of the collaborative construction of cutting-edge training facilities in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, which is anticipated to be finished by 2024.

The Ministers gave officials the duty of identifying ambitious, forward-thinking, and strategic areas of collaboration for the CSP’s next phase before the CSP’s tenth anniversary in 2025.

Additionally, the Ministers discussed significant national and international issues. The Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 is only one way Australia has pledged to strengthen its involvement with Southeast Asia, which the Singapore Ministers warmly welcomed.