Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues at the 9th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Melbourne.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met in Melbourne for the 9th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting on March 5, 2024. They reaffirmed the excellent state of bilateral relations and noted the progress in cooperation across all six pillars of the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), including Economics and Trade, Defence and Foreign Affairs, Science and Innovation, People-to-People, Digital Economy, and Green Economy.

Both leaders welcomed the deepening of cooperation in pathfinding areas such as the digital and green economies. They noted the good progress in implementing the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement (SAGEA) since its signing in October 2022, including the announcement of initial recipients of the A$20 million Go-Green Co-Innovation Programme grant. This grant supports collaborative efforts between Singaporean and Australian enterprises to innovate products and services in green sectors.

Looking ahead to the 10th anniversary of the CSP and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, both Prime Ministers agreed to explore ambitious, forward-looking, and strategic areas of cooperation for the next phase of the CSP. They tasked Ministers and officials to develop a work plan of concrete initiatives by the Annual Leaders’ Meeting in 2025.

The Prime Ministers also exchanged views on key regional and international developments, highlighting the importance of an open and inclusive rules-based multilateral order. Prime Minister Lee welcomed Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to deepen Australia’s engagement in Southeast Asia and looked forward to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations.

Following the Annual Leaders’ Meeting, the Prime Ministers issued a Joint Statement on the key outcomes, emphasizing their commitment to regional peace and stability.

Source – MFA Singapore, Australian High Commission to Singapore