Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday said Pakistan and Singapore had discussed the possible resumption of direct flights between the two countries to facilitate business travel and closer people-to-people contacts. Addressing a joint press conference with Singaporean Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, Dar said the two countries had completed 60 years of diplomatic relations.
In his remarks, DPM Dar underscored the long-standing and friendly relations between the two nations, noting that Pakistan was among the first countries to recognise Singapore's independence in 1965, and that this was the first visit by a Singaporean FM to Pakistan in over two decades.
The deputy prime minister said that during the talks, both sides welcomed the growth in bilateral trade and agreed to encourage closer business-to-business engagement, leveraging chambers of commerce and business delegations. He said both sides recognised the considerable untapped potential in relations and stressed the importance of sustained engagement.
The two foreign ministers agreed to hold regular bilateral political consultations and promote high-level exchanges to strengthen cooperation between the two governments and institutions. DPM Dar said that the reopening of the Pakistan Trade and Investment Office at the Pakistan High Commission in Singapore was a testament to the country's resolve to promote stronger business-to-business ties.
He said that beyond trade and investment, Pakistan and Singapore discussed expanding cooperation in education, research, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence, besides agreeing to deepen cooperation in human resource development, agriculture, and climate domains. Both sides discussed strengthening institutional linkages between their universities and research institutions, as well as promoting cultural, academic, youth, and people-to-people exchanges.
On multilateral and regional affairs, he emphasised Pakistan's enhanced engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), wished Singapore success for its 2027 ASEAN chairmanship, and reaffirmed the need for secure maritime trade routes, adherence to international law, and dialogue to resolve regional and global challenges.
Dar told his Singaporean counterpart that Pakistan remained engaged with key regional and international partners to encourage continued dialogue and diplomacy, which remained the only viable means to resolve outstanding challenges. On Palestine, he expressed concern over the continued expansion of illegal settlements and efforts to alter the status of the West Bank and Al-Aqsa Mosque, reiterating strong support for an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous state of Palestine, based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
In the context of South Asia, he called for a just, durable, and peaceful settlement of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The visit marks a significant milestone in diplomatic efforts to diversify Pakistan's economic partnerships in the Southeast Asian region, aiming to leverage Singapore's expertise in technology and urban development.