WASHINGTON – Singapore and the US on Monday (Sept 27) renewed the 2 international locations’ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Third Nation Coaching Programme (TCTP), saying a choice for the partnership to incorporate a brand new emphasis on local weather change and environmental sustainability.
Singapore’s Minister for Overseas Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the renewal of the MOU in Washington.
The assembly was “insightful and productive”, Mr Blinken stated briefly remarks on the ceremony held within the chandeliered, pastel-coloured Benjamin Franklin room on the eighth flooring of the State Division.
The assembly lined “every thing from the necessary work in our bilateral relationship following on Vice-President Harris’s go to to Singapore, to work that we’re doing collectively within the area each straight in addition to by Asean”, he stated.
“(It) actually affirmed the very robust partnership between the US and Singapore, and a shared dedication to peace, to prosperity, to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Mr Blinken talked about “a variety of necessary initiatives… notably our work to construct provide chain resilience, to probably cooperate extra in terms of house, and, in fact, the important work that we’re all doing to carry Covid-19 to an finish and to handle the challenges posed by local weather change”.
The 2 additionally mentioned regional challenges together with in Myanmar, and “the significance of upholding fundamental maritime rules within the area”.
“Singaporean, American specialists working collectively, instructing collectively, sharing collectively… has been a really highly effective factor,” Mr Blinken stated.
“What we have agreed going ahead is that we are going to be sure that there may be additionally an emphasis now on coping with the local weather disaster and environmental sustainability.”
Dr Balakrishnan stated that the US and Singapore are “trying to the longer term”, coping with points together with local weather change, pandemic preparedness, provide chain resilience, and a brand new partnership for progress and innovation.
Work in conventional areas of the US-Singapore relationship in defence and safety has additionally been a “big reservoir of belief and goodwill”, he added.
Quite a lot of Singapore’s success “can truly be traced to the US’ position in establishing a rules-based multilateral system, financial integration, free commerce, and investments”, the overseas minister stated.
“It is no accident the US is the most important overseas investor in Singapore, and stays… a serious buying and selling companion to us.”
The third-country coaching programme was first established in 2012 and renewed in 2015 and 2018.
Below the programme, Singapore and the US have educated greater than 1,500 authorities officers from international locations within the area and labored in areas like cyber safety, well being safety and good cities, Mr Blinken stated.
Over 50 companies in each international locations have collectively carried out greater than 57 programmes – starting from humanitarian help, catastrophe aid and cybercrime, to public well being, commerce facilitation, good cities and the digital economic system – for contributors from Asean member states, Timor-Leste and the Asean Secretariat.
Previous to Monday’s assembly, Mr Blinken and Dr Balakrishnan had additionally met final week at a US-Asean assembly on the sidelines of the United Nations Common Meeting in New York.