{"id":79859,"date":"2026-08-27T08:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T00:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=79859"},"modified":"2026-08-27T08:25:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T00:25:44","slug":"spore-to-deepen-ties-with-central-asia-as-asean-chair-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=79859","title":{"rendered":"S’pore to deepen ties with Central Asia as ASEAN chair 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"


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ASTANA \u2013 Singapore will explore ways to deepen ties between South-east Asia and Central Asia when it takes over as ASEAN chair in 2027, as it looks beyond the grouping\u2019s traditional partners and towards a region with growing economic potential.<\/p>\n

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Aug 26 that Singapore would explore how the two regions could step up cooperation in areas including transport, connectivity, energy and sustainable development.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs ASEAN Chair next year,<\/span><\/a> Singapore looks forward to creating more opportunities for ASEAN to engage partners beyond our traditional networks,\u201d said Lee at a ceremony in Astana, where Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev conferred on him the Order of Dostyk, or Friendship, of the First Class.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will explore how South-east Asia and Central Asia can work more closely together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award is a Kazakh state honour recognising contributions towards strengthening friendship and cooperation. Lee said he accepted it on behalf of the many Singaporeans and Kazakhs who had worked to bring their two countries closer together over the past three decades.<\/p>\n

The push to strengthen links between the two regions comes as Singapore and Kazakhstan expand their own cooperation into new areas,<\/span><\/a> with agreements signed on Aug 26 covering the digital integration of a major Eurasian trade route and water management.<\/p>\n

Under the first agreement, the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) and Kazakhstan-based transport and logistics company Middle Corridor Multimodal will work together on the digital integration of the Middle Corridor, a trade route connecting China and Europe through Central Asia and other areas. Experts say it has grown in importance as conflicts disrupt other routes between the two markets.<\/p>\n

Potential areas of cooperation include trade documentation, multimodal logistics and supply chain management, said SCE. The partnership could also create opportunities for Singapore companies in digital trade, logistics and related services.<\/p>\n

In an interview on Aug 26, SCE chief executive Kong Wy Mun described the link-up as a \u201cvery strategic alternative\u201d for the flow of goods, with volumes growing by about 30 per cent each year.<\/p>\n

But the route crosses several countries with different Customs standards and processes, which can create bottlenecks. Kong said Singapore could share its experience to help improve Customs interoperability and the efficiency of goods moving across borders.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur companies would certainly benefit in terms of possibilities of getting projects in this particular region and area,\u201d he said, adding that these could provide a platform for them to expand further into Central Asia.<\/p>\n

A second agreement between SCE and Kazakhstan\u2019s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation will see Singapore share its experience in managing water resources.<\/p>\n

It provides for a study visit programme in Singapore for Kazakh officials covering areas such as water sustainability, flood management, water reclamation and digitalisation. The agreement could also pave the way for Singapore agencies and companies to build partnerships in Kazakhstan\u2019s water sector.<\/p>\n

Kazakhstan faces several challenges on this front, and Kong said these included the effects of climate change on glaciers that feed its rivers, as well as falling water levels in the Caspian Sea.<\/p>\n

Singapore could share its experience in water resource planning and management, while companies could eventually find opportunities in areas such as digital water solutions and smart metering, he added.<\/p>\n

Kazakhstan\u2019s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said the country had been working with SCE for about 18 months, and that Kazakh water specialists would soon travel to Singapore for training.<\/p>\n

He said Kazakhstan needs a \u201cnew culture of using water\u201d, and was looking to further develop and digitalise its water infrastructure as it adapts to challenges from climate change, rising temperatures and declining water resources.<\/p>\n

Singapore\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) also agreed to conduct a second Joint Training Programme on the theme of AI, digital development, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Astana within the next two years. The programme will train up to 30 mid-to-senior government officials from Central Asian countries, MFA said.<\/p>\n

The new agreements build on a relationship that has expanded since Singapore and Kazakhstan established diplomatic ties in 1993. A bilateral Services and Investment Agreement entered into force in March 2025, giving Singapore companies greater market access to Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n

Kazakhstan is Singapore\u2019s largest trading partner in Central Asia.<\/span><\/a> Bilateral trade in goods amounted to $326.6 million, while trade in services was $159 million. Singapore\u2019s stock of direct investment in Kazakhstan stood at $2.1 billion, with 158 Singapore overseas affiliates operating there.<\/p>\n

Lee noted in his speech that the relationship between the two countries stretches back to before Kazakhstan gained independence in December 1991.<\/p>\n

Three months prior, in September 1991, then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew visited the former Soviet republic at the invitation of its president at the time, Nursultan Nazarbayev. He addressed the Kazakhstan Supreme Soviet on Singapore\u2019s development experience and the transition to a market economy.<\/p>\n

Successive leaders had continued to build on those ties, including through an exchange of state visits in 2023 and 2024, Lee said.<\/p>\n

Despite their geographical differences, Lee said Singapore and Kazakhstan shared an interest in integrating with their respective regions while remaining connected to the wider world.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth our countries seek to integrate within our regions, build friendships beyond, and stay connected to the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong calls on Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov at Ukimet Ui (Government House) in Astana on Aug 26.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lee noted that Singapore could serve as a gateway for Kazakhstan and other Central Asian businesses seeking opportunities in South-east Asia, while Kazakhstan could serve as a bridge for Singapore businesses looking towards Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur conversations have strengthened my conviction that we can do much more together. I am confident that the next generation of Singaporeans and Kazakhs will take this relationship further still,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n

Lee also met and was hosted to dinner by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. Bektenov said Singapore companies had invested in the country and their projects had helped create thousands of jobs. He also pointed to cooperation with companies such as PSA International, ST Engineering and Surbana Jurong in areas including technology transfer and engineering consultancy.<\/p>\n

There was room to do more, said Bektenov. He added: \u201cWe believe that the full potential of our partnership has yet to be realised.\u201d<\/p>\n