22-5-2024 (SINGAPORE) Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Singapore on May 22 for a three-day official visit, marking his first trip to the Republic since assuming the presidency in 2019. The visit reciprocates former Singaporean President Halimah Yacob’s state visit to Kazakhstan in May 2023, the first by a Singaporean head of state to the Central Asian nation, which is Singapore’s largest trading partner in the region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that President Tokayev’s visit, facilitated by his familiarity with Singapore from his previous diplomatic postings in the 1970s and visits as foreign minister in 2004 and chairman of the senate in 2016, will strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.
During the visit, a series of government-to-government and business-to-business agreements are anticipated to be signed, further solidifying the countries’ economic and strategic partnership.
Following his arrival on the evening of May 22, President Tokayev will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Istana on the morning of May 23. He is scheduled to meet with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who will host a state banquet in his honor that evening.
The Kazakh President and his delegation, comprising high-level officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, will also engage in discussions with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
On May 23, President Tokayev and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will address the Kazakhstan-Singapore Business Forum, to be held at the Shangri-La Hotel, highlighting the economic opportunities and collaborations between the two countries.
The following day, the Kazakh leader will deliver the 46th Singapore Lecture, organized 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.
The visit will culminate with a meeting between Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tokayev, further underscoring the strong personal ties between the leaders of both nations.
Singapore’s relations with Kazakhstan have been underpinned by these robust personal connections, notably the friendship between former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, who visited Kazakhstan in 1991, prior to the former Soviet republic’s declaration of independence.
In 2023, Singapore marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan. During her visit, then President Halimah Yacob highlighted potential areas of cooperation, including education, women’s empowerment, and interfaith dialogue.
The two countries have also signed the Services and Investment Agreement under the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, pending Kazakh ratification.
Singapore’s commercial interests in Kazakhstan span various sectors, including education, trade and connectivity, food security, tourism, urban planning and consultancy, technology, and digitalization.
As of December 2023, there were 180 Kazakhstan companies registered in Singapore and approximately 30 Singaporean companies operating in Kazakhstan.
