Foreign Minister Ali Sabry’s visit to Singapore from 07-09 July 2024 strengthens bilateral relations and explores new avenues for cooperation.
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry undertook an official visit to Singapore from 07 to 09 July 2024 at the invitation of Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan. During the visit, Minister Sabry engaged in productive discussions with his counterpart on enhancing bilateral relations and recognising shared opportunities and challenges. At a luncheon hosted by Minister Balakrishnan, Minister Sabry emphasized collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including capacity building for public officials. Minister Balakrishnan conveyed Singapore’s willingness to facilitate training programs for Sri Lankan civil servants. Both ministers also discussed the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Carbon Credits Cooperation, as well as regional cooperation through the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and ASEAN. Minister Sabry extended an invitation to Minister Balakrishnan to visit Sri Lanka.
Minister Sabry also met with Senior Minister and former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong. Their discussions focused on trade, investment, climate resilience, food security, and regional developments. Minister Sabry briefed Senior Minister Loong on Sri Lanka’s recent debt restructuring agreement with bilateral creditors and expressed gratitude for Singapore’s support during challenging times. He conveyed Sri Lanka’s desire to strengthen bilateral ties, share best practices, and learn from Singapore’s experiences.
Additionally, Minister Sabry met with the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore, K. Shanmugam, at the Ministry of Home Affairs. During this meeting, Minister Sabry updated Minister Shanmugam on recent developments in Sri Lanka and thanked him for facilitating the visit of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) delegation to Sri Lanka in May 2024. This visit explored opportunities for collaboration through the integration of advanced technology to align with Singapore’s standards. The importance of security and defense cooperation to combat transnational crimes was also emphasized. Minister Shanmugam highlighted the significance of enhancing collaborations between the agencies of both countries to respond to emerging threats and technological challenges.
During his visit, Minister Sabry engaged with the Singapore business community at an event organized by the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI). He highlighted Sri Lanka’s progress in economic stabilization and recovery of economic and social stability within two years, outlining potential investment opportunities. He invited Singaporean investors to explore opportunities in renewable energy, port and logistics, and the digital economy. SICCI Chairman and Member of Parliament Neil Parek welcomed Minister Sabry and expressed readiness to connect SICCI members with Sri Lanka, acknowledging shared heritage and regional commonalities in South Asia.
On 09 July, Foreign Minister Sabry participated in the Reuters Next Asia Pacific Summit in Singapore. He attended a keynote interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni, discussing regional and international geopolitics, Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring, and cricket.
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Singapore, Senarath Dissanayake, and senior officials of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore accompanied Minister Sabry at the official meetings.
Source: High Commission of Sri Lanka
