4-6-2024 (SINGAPORE) Reaffirming its commitment to upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter and fostering international peace efforts, Singapore has announced its participation in the upcoming Ukraine peace summit hosted by Switzerland. The republic will be represented by Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, who has been appointed as a special envoy by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
In a statement released on Tuesday, PM Wong revealed that he had informed Swiss President Viola Amherd of his decision to appoint Ms. Sim as his special envoy for the summit. “President Amherd and I also reaffirmed the friendly relations between our countries and underlined the importance of working together to uphold the principles of the UN Charter,” he added.
The peace summit, slated for June 15th and 16th, aims to bring together global leaders and representatives to discuss potential pathways towards resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously announced that 106 countries and organizations had confirmed their participation, although he expressed disappointment over the absence of some world leaders.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of actively attempting to disrupt the peace efforts, a claim he reiterated during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. He further voiced his disappointment that Beijing would not be attending the summit, stating, “China, unfortunately, is working hard today to prevent countries from coming to the peace summit.” China, however, has denied exerting pressure on other nations to abstain from participating.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Ms. Sim expressed her gratitude to PM Wong for her appointment as special envoy, stating, “I am honored to represent Singapore at the upcoming summit.”
Kyiv has extended invitations to approximately 160 capitals and organizations, with confirmed participants including Ukraine’s Western allies and countries from South America, Africa, and the Middle East. Notably, the United States will be represented by Vice President Kamala Harris at the peace summit.
The Philippines has also confirmed its participation, although it remains unclear whether President Ferdinand Marcos will attend in person or send an envoy on his behalf.
