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As part of efforts to partner with African economies, Singapore announced on Monday that it will establish an <\/span>embassy in Addis Ababa<\/span>, its first in East Africa. This will be Singapore’s third embassy on the African continent, alongside Egypt and South Africa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The partnership, which Mr Wong announced at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, provides a new market for Singapore companies in a more challenging global environment.<\/span><\/p>\n “We can’t just stick to familiar markets, we have to look at new areas. And these new frontier areas are in places like Africa,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n The 1.5 billion-strong population in Africa is still growing, Mr Wong added, presenting a sizeable market for Singapore businesses and enterprises.<\/span><\/p>\n But beyond looking “through the narrow lens of whether Singapore benefits or not”, he stressed the need for cooperation between nations.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether through skills or the Singapore Cooperation Programme, Singapore hopes to contribute to other countries and provide value so that they can progress, develop and grow their economies.<\/span><\/p>\n The efforts of small countries or countries with seemingly limited influence should not be dismissed, added Mr Wong.<\/span><\/p>\n “It doesn’t matter whether you’re small or big, whether you have geopolitical influence or not,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n