At the invitation of the Singaporean side, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakayev paid a working visit to the Republic of Singapore, El.kz cites MFA.
The focal point of the visit was participation in the fourth round of Political Consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Kazakhstan and Singapore. The delegation of the host country was headed by Kevin Cheok, Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific) of the Singapore Foreign Ministry.
During the consultations, which took place in a trusting and constructive atmosphere, the parties held an interested exchange of views on a wide range of issues on the bilateral and multilateral agenda. Alibek Bakayev and Kevin Cheok noted with satisfaction the progressive development of the bilateral political dialogue, marked by the intensification of contacts at the highest and high levels in the post-covid period.
An in-depth discussion on the schedule of mutual visits and events until year-end took place.
The heads of the Kazakh and Singaporean delegations provided a positive assessment of the dynamics of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. They noted the complementary nature of the economies of both countries and the substantial cooperation potential in promising areas such as water resources management, smart cities, transport connectivity, agriculture and food industry, digital and green economy, tourism, science, and education.
Alibek Bakayev and Kevin Cheok exchanged insights on key aspects and trends of the international agenda. They affirmed the alignment of Astana and Singapore's positions on topical regional and global policy issues, as well as their commitment to multilateralism, and adherence to fundamental principles and norms of international law.
Concluding the visit, the Kazakh delegation expressed gratitude to the Singaporean authorities for the substantive dialogue and customary hospitality. Both parties acknowledged the usefulness of regular Political Consultations and agreed to maintain contacts on mutual interests.
Another significant aspect of Deputy Minister’s visit was a meeting with Grace Fu, Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.
A meaningful exchange of views ensued on the current state and future prospects of Kazakh-Singapore economic cooperation, particularly in light of dynamic changes in the global economic landscape. The parties expressed satisfaction with Kazakhstan and Singapore’s roles as primary trade and investment partners for each other in Central and Southeast Asia, respectively.
They emphasized the need to strengthen coordination and expand contacts between government, quasi-governmental, and business sectors to identify new growth opportunities in the medium and long term.