Close to 80 SGC members participated in an enriching SGC Dialogue featuring Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore. Hosted by the @Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce / AHK Singapur, the discussion delved into the trustful Germany-Singapore relations and explored key business concerns.

Germany-Singapore Relations: Dr Balakrishnan noted that Germany and the EU are “natural partners” for Singapore, citing both countries’ like-minded commitment to freetrade, high standards of vocational performance and long-term goals of building resilient global supplychains. Referencing the Germany-Singapore Framework for Sustainability and Innovation (FSI), which was signed at the APK 2022, Dr Balakrishnan further highlighted cooperation from both countries in areas such as research and development (R&D), industry4.0 and sustainable innovation.

SGC's Position Paper Launch: The SGC Dialogue was especially significant for the chamber as we published our position paper “Why German Businesses Support an EU-ASEAN FTA”, which includes a comprehensive analysis of survey results from German companies operating across ASEAN. The paper underscored the importance of EU-ASEAN FTA negotiations based on a survey. Commenting on the prospects of the EU-ASEAN FTA, Dr Balakrishnan said that while both blocs are “one step closer” to realising the FTA, negotiations will understandably take time as the ASEAN is a diverse region. 

The SGC extends its thanks and appreciation to Dr Balakrishnan for the enriching session. Moving forward, the chamber remains committed to fostering the collaborative and pioneering spirit of German-Singapore business ties.

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