Washington DC, 29 October 2022 (TDI): US Counselor of the Department of State, Derek Chollet held bilateral talks with Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Albert Chua.
A meeting was held on 28 October 2022 to discuss bilateral relations between the South East Asian country and the United States (US).
Both officials exchanged views to enhance their efforts to address the crisis in Myanmar (Burma). Moreover, they also discussed other bilateral and regional issues.
Derek Chollet emphasized the importance of bilateral relations between the two partners for a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
US-Singapore relations
The United States and the South East Asian country are in diplomatic relations for more than 55 years. Both countries hold formal diplomatic ties since the independence of Singapore in 1965.
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Both nations have enduring relations based on mutual economic interest, defense and security cooperation, and people-to-people ties.
Moreover, they are strong allies in the Indo-Pacific region and worked as close partners for security and economic stability in the region.
Along with that, Singapore and the US have partnered to address global challenges and threats including terrorism, transnational crimes, cyber security, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The US has a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore. Moreover, it is the largest trading partner of the US in Southeast Asia. The USA has about $270 billion of direct investment in Singapore.
Both countries also hold many bilateral defense agreements namely the 1990 MOU for the US Use of Facilities in Singapore, and the Strategic Framework Agreement which was signed in July 2005.
Likewise, the enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two partners is also important in terms of bilateral cooperation. It was signed in December 2015.
Besides that, both nations also have people-to-people exchange ties. More than 30,000 US citizens live in the South East Asian country.
Similarly, nearly 4,000 Singaporeans are studying in the United States, and more than 1,000 US citizens study in Singapore each year.
