23-5-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a significant diplomatic move, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan is currently on a state visit to Singapore, which commenced on May 22 and will conclude on May 24. This visit marks Tokayev’s first official state visit to the city-state since assuming the presidency.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Singapore provided details regarding Tokayev’s visit in a press statement released on May 23, highlighting the warm relations between the two nations and the potential for further cooperation.
On May 23, President Tokayev received a ceremonial welcome at the Istana, the official residence of the President of Singapore. He called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who hosted a state banquet in honour of the Kazakh leader.
During their meeting, President Tharman and Tokayev reaffirmed the close ties between Singapore and Kazakhstan, expressing their desire to strengthen connectivity and people-to-people ties. They acknowledged the strategic positions of their respective countries as regional hubs and pledged to work together for mutual benefit.
Later that day, Tokayev was hosted for a luncheon by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong. Their discussions centred around deepening bilateral cooperation in various domains, including education, food security, green energy, and digitalisation.
Prime Minister Wong encouraged Kazakh companies to leverage Singapore as a gateway to engage with Southeast Asia and vice versa, fostering greater economic collaboration.
Six new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Singapore and Kazakhstan, covering areas such as economic cooperation, higher education, intellectual property rights protection, legal cooperation, security cooperation, and standards.
President Tharman will host a State Banquet in honour of Tokayev on May 23, further underscoring the significance of this visit.
Tokayev’s itinerary also includes a meeting with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 24. Additionally, he is set to deliver the 46th Singapore Lecture organised by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, titled “Kazakhstan and Role of Middle Powers: Fostering Security, Stability and Sustainable Development.” The lecture will be moderated by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean.
According to the MFA, Tokayev is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, Assistant to the President for External Affairs Erzhan Kazykhan, and several ministers overseeing portfolios such as science and higher education, justice, transport, digital development, innovation, and aerospace industry, as well as the governor of Almaty Region.
This state visit by Tokayev reciprocates the state visit to Kazakhstan by then-President Halimah Yacob last year, during which she was received by Tokayev. Additionally, the Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alibek Bakayev, paid a working visit to Singapore in April 2024.
Speaking at the Kazakhstan-Singapore Business Forum on May, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat commended the “steady growth” in Singapore-Kazakhstan ties, which are celebrating their 31st year.
Heng highlighted that among Central Asian countries, Singapore has the largest goods trade and bilateral investment flows with Kazakhstan. He also emphasised the importance of an “open and rules-based international economic system” as a crucial driver of growth and development, noting that both countries subscribe to this principle, which can uplift people and enhance livelihoods.
Heng asserted that Singapore and Kazakhstan are “part of a dynamic, vibrant and growing Asia” and emphasised that this fact would “bind” the two countries. While acknowledging that Asia remains a “bright spot with strong economic potential,” he acknowledged the new common challenges faced by countries across the region, such as climate change, the digital revolution, and ageing demographics.
In this context, Heng urged both Singapore and Kazakhstan to work together to “catalyse greater and more impactful innovations,” with the aim of shaping a better future for their respective regions and the world at large.
