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Singapore Foreign Minister Arrives in Islamabad for TalksPakistan
Singapore’s foreign minister is in Islamabad for talks with Ishaq Dar, as the two countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations and prepare to exchange a disaster-management agreement.
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Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, arrived in Islamabad on Friday for an official visit, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the Foreign Office said.
The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Singapore, and comes ahead of Singapore’s assumption of the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2027, according to the Foreign Office statement issued on Thursday.
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During the visit, Dar and Dr Balakrishnan are to hold bilateral talks covering the full spectrum of Pakistan-Singapore relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority and Singapore’s Civil Defence Force is also to be exchanged.
According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the ministry’s Director General for East Asia Pacific received Dr Balakrishnan at the airport, and Dar later welcomed his Singaporean counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Balakrishnan is also scheduled to call on Pakistan’s leadership during his stay.
Officials have described relations between the two countries as cordial, based on mutual respect and longstanding friendship. The anniversary year gives the visit added significance, as both sides look to build on six decades of diplomatic ties and explore new areas of cooperation.
Disaster management is expected to feature prominently in the talks, with the planned agreement between the two civil defence and disaster agencies aimed at strengthening practical cooperation in preparedness and emergency response. The two foreign ministers are also expected to discuss broader regional issues, as Singapore prepares to take up the ASEAN chairmanship next year.
According to the Foreign Office, the two ministers will also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, and the visit comes at a time when Singapore is preparing to assume the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027. The talks are therefore expected to touch on regional cooperation as well as the bilateral agenda, reflecting the breadth of a relationship that has developed over six decades.
Details of any further agreements or follow-up steps are expected after the talks and the joint engagements later on Friday. The visit is being seen as a further step in deepening a relationship that has grown steadily since diplomatic relations were established, with trade, training and institutional links forming the backbone of the partnership.
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