Singapore Foreign Minister Meets with Indonesian Coordinating Minister to Prepare for Leaders' Retreat

Singapore's Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will make a working visit to Jakarta, Indonesia from April 23 to 26, 2024. The visit highlights the close friendship and cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia.

During the visit, Dr Balakrishnan is expected to meet with Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto to prepare for the upcoming Leaders' Retreat agenda between the leaders of Singapore and Indonesia. The two ministers will discuss potential areas of bilateral cooperation, including green energy, carbon capture storage, development of Batam-Bintan-Karimun, digital connectivity, and data centers.

The ministers also emphasized strategic collaborations in skill development, talent exchange in the digital field, and increasing capacity in the healthcare sector. They expressed optimism about strengthening economic relations between the two countries and discussed Indonesia's accession to the OECD.

Why this matters: The meeting between the foreign ministers of Singapore and Indonesia highlights the strong bilateral ties and economic cooperation between the two Southeast Asian nations. Preparing for the Leaders' Retreat agenda sets the stage for further collaboration on key issues of mutual interest.

The meeting was attended by the Singaporean Ambassador to Indonesia and the Deputy for International Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Dr Balakrishnan's visit to Jakarta is part of Singapore's active engagement in the regional and global communities, with diplomatic ties to over 150 countries and a presence of over 50 overseas missions worldwide.

Key Takeaways

• Singapore FM Vivian Balakrishnan to visit Indonesia from April 23-26, 2024.
• Meeting to prepare for upcoming Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat agenda.
• Discussions on bilateral cooperation in green energy, digital connectivity, and more.
• Emphasis on skill development, talent exchange, and healthcare sector collaboration.
• Meeting highlights strong bilateral ties and economic cooperation between the nations.