ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, will make an official visit to Islamabad on Friday at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Singapore and comes ahead of Singapore’s turn as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2027, the ministry said in a statement.
What is on the agenda
Dar and Balakrishnan will hold talks covering the full range of bilateral ties and exchange views on regional and global developments, according to the Foreign Office. Balakrishnan will also call on Pakistan’s leadership during the visit.
The two sides will exchange a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The Foreign Office described relations between the two countries as cordial and based on “mutual respect and longstanding friendship”, saying the visit reflected a shared commitment to “deepening and diversifying” the partnership.
Steady contact
The two ministers last met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 25. In May, Dar asked Singapore for help with the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistanis and 20 Iranians aboard vessels seized by the United States, Dawn reported.
Singapore’s year at the head of ASEAN will give it a central voice in the bloc’s diplomacy, including the ASEAN Regional Forum, of which Pakistan is a member.
