Pakistan and Singapore on Friday expressed their resolve to deepen bilateral relations and expand economic cooperation as Singaporean Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan held a series of high-level meetings with the country's leadership. During a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House, the two sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment and expand cooperation in the digital economy, fintech, infrastructure development, logistics, small and medium enterprises, and the services sector.
The premier reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to strengthening its longstanding relations with Singapore as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year. Shehbaz expressed admiration for Singapore's economic transformation and achievements in innovation and development, while underscoring the importance Pakistan attaches to the partnership both bilaterally and through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The two sides also explored new avenues for mutually beneficial economic cooperation and greater people-to-people contacts, while exchanging views on regional and international developments. They reaffirmed their commitment to continued engagement and cooperation at bilateral and multilateral forums.
Separately, Balakrishnan called on Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two discussed matters of mutual interest, evolving regional and global security dynamics, and avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation.
They also exchanged views on regional peace and stability and underscored the importance of sustained engagement and cooperation in areas of shared interest. General Munir reiterated Pakistan's commitment to strengthening relations with Singapore, emphasising enhanced institutional linkages and constructive engagement for promoting regional peace, stability, and security.
The Singaporean foreign minister reciprocated the desire to strengthen bilateral ties, appreciated the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces, and acknowledged Pakistan's contributions to regional peace and stability. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks with Balakrishnan, with the two sides reviewing their longstanding relations and discussing greater cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, and skills development.
Dar said the depth of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Singapore was not adequately reflected in their economic ties and stressed the need to unlock the significant potential for bilateral trade and investment. He expressed confidence that closer coordination between the two governments, particularly in facilitating businesses and investors, could take economic relations to a new level.
Dar also highlighted the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), whose functions he said had been integrated into the Board of Investment to provide investors with a streamlined, one-window facilitation mechanism. The deputy premier appreciated Singapore's contribution to capacity building in Pakistan, noting that nearly 1,500 Pakistani officials had benefited from training facilities and programmes provided by the country.
He also called for the early conclusion of cooperation arrangements between Singapore's Institute of Technical Education and Pakistan's National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC).