Uzbekistan – Singapore: New horizons for the development of multifaceted cooperation

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Today, on January 17, within the framework of the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Singapore, high-level events took place - negotiations with the President of this country Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The Uzbek-Singapore summit was preceded by an official welcoming ceremony of the head of our state, held at the Palace of the President of Singapore "Istana".

A guard of honor was lined up on the square in front of the palace in honor of the distinguished guest. The military orchestra performed the national anthems of the two countries.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Singapore Halimah Yacob walked around the Guard of Honor and greeted members of official delegations.

Then a naming ceremony was held in honor of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of a new variety of orchid flower, which is the national symbol of Singapore. Such events are traditionally held as a sign of high respect and honor for the distinguished guests of this country and outstanding figures.

By tradition, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally placed a sign with the name of a new orchid variety – “Shavkat Mirziyoyev's Orchid” at the flower.

This is a beautiful and free-blooming hybrid of orchids Encbi Purple and Kila Blue. It forms semi-double inflorescences about 45 cm long, on which 17 to 20 flowers bloom, each flower measuring about 5 cm across. The lilac-purple petals and sepals have an orchid-purple border.

Then the Presidents held a bilateral meeting.

The sides exchanged views on the prospects for further deepening relations between Uzbekistan and Singapore, cooperation in the field of reforms for further democratization of public and political life.

Active cooperation in the educational sphere was noted with satisfaction. The Singapore Institute of Management Development and the Singapore Academy of Technology, Management and Communications are successfully operating in Tashkent.

The experience of the two countries in the field of regional cooperation and integration in Central and Southeast Asia is considered in detail.

The high level of mutual understanding and mutual support on international platforms in promoting initiatives of Uzbekistan and Singapore on topical issues of regional stability and sustainable development was noted.

As a result of the meeting, the key areas of cooperation development were identified.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Halimah Yacob to visit our country at any time convenient for her.

Then, at the Istana residence, the President of our country held talks with the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong.

The current state and prospects of cooperation were considered in detail, and the positive dynamics of cooperation development in priority areas were noted.

So, tangible progress has been made on the trade and economic track. The trade turnover has doubled in recent years. The number of enterprises operating in Uzbekistan with Singapore capital has increased 4 times. Direct investments from this country into the Uzbek economy amounted to $ 700 million.

The presence of large reserves for increasing practical cooperation in many areas was emphasized.

Singapore is the economic center of the Asia-Pacific region. For several years now, the country has held the status of one of the largest and most developed economies in the world, relying on successes in such key industries as electronics, chemical industry, biotechnology, banking, logistics and transport engineering.

With this in mind, the head of our state has identified five key areas of cooperation with Singapore in the near future.

The first is the development of human capital and the training of highly qualified personnel for public administration. An agreement was reached on the implementation, with the participation of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, of a joint program for training and advanced training of civil servants in the fields of management, urban planning, infrastructure development, digital transformation, innovation, education and healthcare. Also, a program of intensive retraining of civil servants with the involvement of leading Singaporean experts will be launched on the basis of the Academy of Public Administration of Uzbekistan.

The second direction is to involve the Singaporean side in the privatization processes in Uzbekistan. In this context, prospects for the implementation of new projects within the framework of the privatization of large enterprises of Uzbekistan with the involvement of advanced experience, modern technologies and management of leading Singaporean companies were discussed at the talks. It is proposed to create a joint investment fund for the transformation and restructuring of state-owned enterprises in order to further launch an IPO and attract external investment.

The third priority is the attraction of advanced "green" technologies and digital solutions. The possibilities of introducing Singapore's achievements in the field of digitalization, as well as the use of innovations and technologies of this country in the field of “green” development were discussed.

The fourth is the improvement of urban infrastructure and communications. Measures have been agreed on cooperation in the field of urban planning and construction, landscaping, and public utilities. The first step in this direction was the agreement on the establishment of a joint Design and Engineering center in Uzbekistan for the implementation of infrastructure and industry projects.

Within the framework of the fifth area of cooperation, the importance of supporting investments and expanding mutual trade by promoting joint projects with leading Singapore companies was noted.

An agreement was reached on the establishment of an Uzbek-Singapore investment company with an authorized capital of $ 500 million.

In addition, the sides exchanged views on topical issues of the international and regional agenda.

At the end of the meeting, which was held in an open and friendly atmosphere, Shavkat Mirziyoyev invited Li Hsien Loong to visit our country at any time convenient for him.

Following the talks, a ceremony of exchange of bilateral documents was held.

In the presence of the heads of delegations, 8 documents were exchanged, providing for further expansion of Uzbek-Singapore cooperation.

In particular, agreements on cooperation in the field of education, transport, healthcare, and training of personnel, including civil servants, have been adopted.

Agreements have also been reached on trade and economic cooperation and cooperation between the prosecutor's offices of the two countries.

In the afternoon, the head of our state will visit the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and hold a meeting with the heads of leading Singapore companies. Today, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will fly to Tashkent.