President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan receives a ceremonial welcome and engages in high-level meetings with Singaporean leaders to bolster cooperation.

SINGAPORE, 23 May 2024 – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan was ceremoniously welcomed in Singapore by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana. During his visit, President Tokayev also met with Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, who hosted a lunch in his honor. The visit culminated in a State Banquet hosted by President Tharman.

President Tharman and President Tokayev reaffirmed the strong bilateral ties between Singapore and Kazakhstan, emphasizing the importance of their strategic partnership. They discussed enhancing connectivity and people-to-people interactions through education, cultural exchanges, and tourism. President Tharman highlighted the upcoming ratification of the bilateral Services and Investment Agreement under the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to boost economic engagement.

Prime Minister Wong and President Tokayev reviewed the progress of the partnership since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1993, exploring further cooperation in education, food security, green energy, and digitalization. Prime Minister Wong urged Kazakh businesses to leverage Singapore as a gateway to Southeast Asia and discussed regional and global issues with President Tokayev. Both leaders welcomed Air Astana’s upcoming direct flights to Singapore.

The visit also saw the signing of six intergovernmental agreements covering economic cooperation, higher education, intellectual property rights protection, legal cooperation, security cooperation, and standards. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and President Tokayev officiated the closing of the Third Kazakhstan-Singapore Business Forum, underscoring the importance of these agreements.

Source: MFA