Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Anthony Albanese discussed progress and future cooperation under the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during their 9th annual meeting in Melbourne, aiming to deepen relations across key sectors.

On 5 March 2024, in Melbourne, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, conducted the 9th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting, emphasizing the robust state of their bilateral relations. The meeting spotlighted the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between the two nations, showcasing advancements across its six pillars: Economics and Trade, Defence and Foreign Affairs, Science and Innovation, People-to-People, Digital Economy, and Green Economy.

The leaders commended the progress in the digital and green economies, notably the implementation of the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement (SAGEA) and the introduction of initiatives like the A$20 million Go-Green Co-Innovation Programme grant. They also celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor to promote maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation.

Looking ahead to the 10th anniversary of the CSP and 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, both Prime Ministers tasked their officials with crafting a workplan of concrete initiatives to advance this partnership further, focusing on forward-looking and strategic areas of cooperation.

The meeting also included discussions on regional and international developments, emphasizing the importance of an open, inclusive, rules-based multilateral order and ASEAN Centrality. Prime Minister Lee particularly welcomed Australia’s commitment to deepen engagement with Southeast Asia.

Following their discussions, the Prime Ministers issued a Joint Statement outlining the meeting’s key outcomes, setting a collaborative path forward for both countries in various domains, including green economy, digital transformation, defence, and more.

Source – MFA
Image Credit – PM’s X Account