Joint Ministerial Media Release - Australia-Singapore Ministerial Meeting

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Hon Julie Bishop MP

SENATOR THE HON MARISE PAYNE

Minister for Defence

MINISTER FOR Trade and investment

The Hon Steven Ciobo MP

Australia will host the ninth Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee meeting in Sydney on Friday 18 March. We look forward to welcoming Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang, and Minister for Defence, Ng Eng Hen to Australia.

We enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership with Singapore based on our shared interests and complementary economies. We also have well-established links in education through initiatives including the New Colombo Plan, and strong people-to-people ties.

Singapore is Australia’s fifth largest trading partner and fifth largest source of foreign investment. During our discussions we will review the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement to ensure it continues to deliver meaningful outcomes for business and helps drive us towards an even closer economic relationship. 

Our discussions will also explore opportunities to collaborate on innovation, leveraging Australia’s knowledge in research and development and Singapore’s expertise in commercialisation. 

We will consider opportunities to expand our defence cooperation, including through enhanced personnel exchanges and training, as well as strengthening collaboration on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, cyber security and defence science and technology.

We are also working together to deepen our economic and security cooperation in upcoming international forums in the Indo-Pacific, including the East Asia Summit.

Media contacts:

Foreign Minister’s Office:                                 Rachel Obradovic      0478 488 874

Defence Minister’s Office:                                Henry Budd                 0439 531 143

Trade and Investment Minister’s Office:          Ben Dillaway               0409 598 102