South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently celebrated 30 years of diplomatic ties between their nations during Prime Minister Lee’s initial official visit to South Africa. This visit marked an opportunity for both leaders to discuss crucial areas of mutual interest while exploring ways to strengthen their bilateral cooperation and partnership.
Areas of Mutual Interest
Both South Africa and Singapore share a common vision of promoting economic growth, social development, and prosperity for their citizens. Consequently, the visit provided an opportunity for fruitful discussions in areas such as digitalization, communications technology, water and sanitation, skills development, and science and innovation. The leaders agreed to deepen their cooperation in these sectors, which would benefit their respective citizens.
Economic Partnership
A business delegation accompanied Prime Minister Lee and represented various sectors such as ports, logistics, healthcare, biomedical, food manufacturing, and engineering. The delegation’s presence highlighted the potential for additional economic development between the two nations. Discussions on the future of the economic partnership between Singapore and South Africa were held, with both leaders expressing optimism about its potential.
Regional and International Issues
Apart from bilateral cooperation, discussions on regional and international issues of shared interest and concern were facilitated. These included developments on the African continent, particularly the operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the potential it offers for both domestic and international investors. The leaders also addressed the current instability in international relations and the global economy, agreeing on the need for countries to work collaboratively to develop inclusive, just, and sustainable solutions to conflict, climate change, pandemics, and other challenges.
Peace Mission
President Ramaphosa provided an update on South Africa’s position regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, presenting an African leaders’ peace mission to both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during separate telephone calls. The mission comprises African heads of state from Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda, Egypt, and South Africa, and aims to find a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in Ukraine and its impact on the African continent.
The visit served as a reaffirmation of both leaders’ commitment to building stronger ties between South Africa and Singapore while addressing pressing global issues together. President Ramaphosa expressed his gratitude to the Government of Singapore for its support in training South African civil servants over the years, and both leaders agreed to continue deepening their collaboration in various sectors to promote economic growth, social development, and prosperity for their citizens.
