Singapore eyes closer Asean-Central Asia ties during 2027 chairmanship
SINGAPORE, Aug 27 — Singapore plans to use its Asean chairmanship next year to pursue stronger links between South...
Singapore is set to leverage its upcoming Asean chairmanship in 2027 to forge closer ties with Central Asia across various sectors, according to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. During a visit to Kazakhstan, Lee expressed hope that Singapore could create new opportunities for Asean to engage partners beyond its usual networks.
The Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) has signed two agreements with Kazakh counterparts to strengthen cooperation. One pact aims to digitalise the Middle Corridor, a trade route linking China and Europe through Central Asia, fostering areas such as multimodal logistics, supply chain management, and trade documentation. Singapore is expected to leverage its expertise in customs interoperability to aid this initiative.
Another agreement focuses on water sustainability, flood management, water reclamation, and digitalisation, with Singapore providing expertise to Kazakh officials grappling with climate impacts like shrinking glaciers and declining water levels in the Caspian Sea. Kazakh officials are also slated to receive training in Singapore to address these challenges.
Lee emphasized Singapore's potential as a gateway to South-east Asia for Central Asian businesses, while also highlighting Kazakhstan's role in helping Singaporean companies tap into markets across Central Asia and the broader Eurasian region.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
