African Diplomatic Missions in Singapore celebrate Africa Day 2023, highlighting the strategic importance of Singapore’s relations with Africa and urging Singaporean businesses to explore new opportunities on the continent.
On May 25th, the African Diplomatic Missions in Singapore gathered to celebrate Africa Day 2023, commemorating the Diamond Anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OUA), the predecessor of the current African Union (AU). This momentous occasion provided an opportunity to reflect on the strong and fruitful relations that many African countries enjoy with Singapore.
The recent visit of His Excellency Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, to South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda in June 2022 underscored the strategic importance that Singapore places on the African continent. These visits demonstrated Singapore’s commitment to strengthening ties and deepening cooperation with African nations.
During his recent visit to Kenya and South Africa, Prime Minister Lee rightfully emphasized the significance of Africa as a continent that Singaporeans should pay attention to as they strive to explore new frontiers. In light of this, the African Diplomatic Missions in Singapore urged the Singaporean business community to heed this call by actively pursuing business opportunities and fostering long-term partnerships in Africa.
The African Diplomatic Missions in Singapore consist of the Embassy of the Republic of Angola, the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the High Commission of the Republic of Rwanda, and the High Commission of the Republic of South Africa. These missions serve as vital channels for promoting dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding between Singapore and African nations.
Singapore’s decades-long cooperation with African countries through initiatives such as the Africa Singapore Business Forum (ASBF) has been instrumental in fostering trade and investment between Asia and Africa. The ASBF has played a pivotal role in facilitating dialogue, connecting businesses, and promoting economic partnerships between the two regions.
Furthermore, Singapore’s dedication to sharing its developmental experience with interested African countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) is highly commendable. The African Diplomatic Missions applauded the three-year Singapore-Africa Partnership Package Programme, which was announced by Prime Minister Lee during his visit to Africa in 2022. This program offers tailored courses in priority areas such as climate change and sustainability, digitalization, and smart cities. It serves as a valuable platform for African nations to learn from Singapore’s expertise and accelerate their own development goals.
As Africa Day 2023 was commemorated in Singapore on May 25th, it served as a reminder of the enduring friendship and growing collaboration between Singapore and African countries. The African Diplomatic Missions expressed their gratitude to Singapore for its consistent support and looked forward to further strengthening the partnership for the benefit of all nations involved.
