Singapore and Qatar signed a range of agreements which will strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of business, education and training sectors. The agreements were signed in the presence of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who was on a visit to the Lion City.
The Emir also met Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and discussed bilateral relations. After that, both the leaders witnessed signing of four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and three agreements.
It was agreed between the two countries that five technical committees in the fields of information communication technology, security, business, legal and sustainability will be established. It will be overseen by the foreign affairs ministers of Singapore and Qatar, who will be the mechanism's co-chairs.
An agreement relating to Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments between the two countries was also signed. The agreement sets up a framework for greater facilitation of trade and investment flows between the two countries.
The top leaders of both countries also reviewed the Qatar-Singapore High Level Joint Committee and reaffirmed it as a "key pillar of bilateral cooperation", the joint statement said.
Additionally, an agreement on judicial cooperation was inked between Singapore’s Supreme Court and Qatar’s Supreme Judiciary Council.
The Emir of Qatar was also given a formal welcome by the President of Singapore Halimah Yacob at Istana. Reflecting on the closer ties between the two countries, she said, “Singapore and Qatar share many similarities. The trajectories of growth and development of our two countries show that success does not depend on size. Both our countries serve as dynamic hubs within our respective regions. Our two countries have worked hard to be relevant globally. Both Singapore and Qatar are also active, responsible and constructive members of the international community.
She added, “Qatar is the only Middle East country with which Singapore has maintained such a high-level bilateral mechanism. The Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC) process has spawned 28 agreements across a wide range of areas, including business, legal, public administration, education, security, and urban planning. The formalisation of a further seven agreements earlier this afternoon exemplifies the breadth and depth of our partnership.”