Singapore and Canada sign joint declaration to establish economic partnership framework

Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and Canadian counterpart Anita Anand signed a joint declaration to establish a Singapore-Canada Economic Partnership Framework.

PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN/FACEBOOK

Published Sep 19, 2026, 12:35 PM

Updated Sep 19, 2026, 12:35 PM

Singapore and Canada signed a joint declaration to establish an Economic Partnership Framework to boost cooperation in emerging technologies, energy security, investment, and supply chain resilience.

The framework includes joint efforts in AI, quantum technologies, clean energy, LNG, critical minerals, and plans for an Economic Cooperation Framework negotiation.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister warned of fuel supply disruptions from the Middle East due to regional conflicts and stressed the need for close monitoring and international cooperation.

SINGAPORE – Singapore and Canada aim to establish an Economic Partnership Framework to deepen cooperation in multiple areas and advance practical initiatives in areas of mutual interest, including emerging technologies. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan signed a joint declaration to establish the framework alongside his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand during his Sept 17-18 visit to Ottawa.

“This will deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, energy and food security, two-way investment and supply chain resilience,” said Balakrishnan in a Facebook post on Sept 19.

These initiatives also include deepening public service cooperation, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Sept 19. Balakrishnan and Anand also took stock of the growing bilateral relationship, said MFA, including measures to advance cooperation in trade and investments, defence and security, as well as people-to-people ties. They looked forward to Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to Canada later in 2026 as an opportunity to further deepen bilateral ties. Both ministers agreed on the importance of strengthening the partnership to build strategic resilience.

The Economic Partnership Framework will see the two countries aiming to foster cooperation in emerging technologies by promoting joint research, innovation, and commercialisation activities in areas including advancing artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, enhancing cybersecurity cooperation, coordinating governance of emerging technologies, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in other emerging and critical technologies.

To enhance energy security, they will accelerate the energy transition through clean and conventional energy opportunities including LNG, critical minerals cooperation, promoting diversified and resilient energy supply chains, and supporting greater energy resilience, including through civil nuclear cooperation.

Two-way investment will be promoted by advancing investment facilitation and modernisation, and deepening economic engagement.

The ministers also agreed to start negotiations towards an Economic Cooperation Framework, under which they will identify and advance initiatives under the framework, and identify a suitable way to coordinate the frameworks’ implementation.

Besides the declaration to establish the framework, the joint statement added that the Singapore and Canada governments will continue building on their relationship while reaffirming their commitment to a fair global trading environment.

Strengthening ASEAN-Canada ties

The ministers also discussed strengthening ASEAN-Canada ties, including during Singapore’s upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2027, which will mark the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Canada dialogue relations.

“The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the timely conclusion of negotiations on the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement,” said the MFA in its statement.

“They also noted ongoing discussions on conducting joint capacity-building programmes under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) to advance development cooperation in the ASEAN region.”

During his two-day visit, Balakrishnan also met Evan Solomon, Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

They discussed opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation in emerging technologies, such as AI and quantum technologies, with Balakrishnan noting that “Canada has a deep bench of academic and scientific leadership in these fields and abundant energy resources that will enable her to play a leading role in both AI and quantum”. He also engaged with Canadian academics, business leaders, and officials during the visit.

Balakrishnan’s visit to Ottawa follows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Singapore in October 2025. Carney and PM Wong celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations between their countries, while also reaffirming their commitment to free trade.

Disruptions to fuel supply from Middle East

Balakrishnan, who visited Qatar before flying to Canada, said that Singapore has to anticipate further disruptions to fuel supply from the Middle East region. In remarks to media on Sept 19, he said that with Qatar being a major source of LNG exports to Singapore, the impact of the Iran war, in particular the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has been a major impediment for both Qatar and its exports of LNG to the Republic. “Fortunately, in the case of Singapore, we’ve got diversified sources, so we’ve been able to cope with this disruption,” he said. He said that both Qatar and Singapore continue to insist on freedom of navigation, especially in waterways used for international navigation like the Strait of Hormuz. However, he said that he did not see a quick solution, pointing out that recent developments in the Bab al Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea will affect exports of Saudi Arabia and “are another warning sign”. On Sept 11, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and Suez Canal and a vital shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has relied on the Red Sea ever since Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz choked off its shipments via the Gulf. By capturing three small islands in the Bab al-Mandab, the Houthis have increased their ability to launch attacks on Saudi tankers. “Frankly, we have to anticipate further disruptions to fuel supply from the Middle East region,” said Balakrishnan.

“That remains an area of concern and an area which we will continue to monitor closely and work closely and carefully with our partners.”

Laura Chia is a journalist covering breaking news and current affairs, with an interest in sports.

Politics and government

新加坡外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南和加拿大外交部长阿妮塔·阿南德签署联合声明，建立新加坡-加拿大经济伙伴关系框架。

照片：截图来自 VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN/FACEBOOK

发布于 2026 年 9 月 19 日下午 12:35

更新于2026年9月19日下午12:35

新加坡和加拿大签署联合声明，建立经济伙伴关系框架，以加强在新兴技术、能源安全、投资和供应链韧性方面的合作。

该框架包括在人工智能、量子技术、清洁能源、液化天然气、关键矿产等领域的联合努力，以及经济合作框架谈判计划。

新加坡外交部长警告称，由于地区冲突，来自中东的燃料供应可能中断，并强调需要密切监测和国际合作。

新加坡——新加坡和加拿大计划建立经济伙伴关系框架，以深化多领域合作，并在包括新兴技术在内的共同感兴趣领域推进切实举措。新加坡外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南于9月17日至18日访问渥太华期间，与加拿大外长阿妮塔·阿南德签署了建立该框架的联合声明。

巴拉克里希南在9月19日的一篇Facebook帖子中表示：“这将深化在新兴技术、能源和粮食安全、双向投资和供应链韧性方面的合作。”

外交部9月19日发表声明称，这些举措还包括深化公共服务合作。声明还指出，巴拉克里希南和阿南德还评估了日益增长的双边关系，包括推进贸易和投资、国防和安全以及人文交流等领域合作的措施。他们期待新加坡总理黄循财于2026年晚些时候访问加拿大，认为这将是进一步深化双边关系的契机。两位部长一致认为，加强伙伴关系对于构建战略韧性至关重要。

经济伙伴关系框架将使两国致力于在新兴技术领域加强合作，促进联合研究、创新和商业化活动，包括推进人工智能和量子技术，加强网络安全合作，协调新兴技术的治理，并探索在其他新兴和关键技术领域的合作机会。

为了增强能源安全，他们将通过清洁能源和常规能源机遇（包括液化天然气）、关键矿产合作、促进多元化和有韧性的能源供应链以及支持更大的能源韧性（包括通过民用核能合作）来加速能源转型。

将通过推进投资便利化和现代化，深化经济合作，促进双向投资。

部长们还同意开始就经济合作框架进行谈判，根据该框架，他们将确定和推进各项倡议，并确定协调框架实施的适当方式。

除了宣布建立该框架外，联合声明还表示，新加坡和加拿大政府将继续加强两国关系，同时重申致力于建立公平的全球贸易环境。

加强东盟与加拿大的关系

部长们还讨论了加强东盟与加拿大的关系，包括在新加坡即将于 2027 年担任东盟轮值主席国期间，届时将迎来东盟与加拿大对话关系建立 50 周年。

外交部在声明中表示：“部长们重申了他们致力于及时完成东盟-加拿大自由贸易协定谈判的承诺。”

“他们还注意到，双方正在就根据新加坡合作计划（SCP）开展联合能力建设方案进行讨论，以推进东盟地区的发展合作。”

在为期两天的访问中，巴拉克里希南还会见了加拿大人工智能和数字创新部长兼负责安大略省南部联邦经济发展署的部长埃文·所罗门。

他们探讨了深化在人工智能和量子技术等新兴技术领域双边合作的机遇。巴拉克里希南指出，“加拿大在这些领域拥有雄厚的学术和科研实力，以及丰富的能源资源，这将使其在人工智能和量子技术领域发挥领导作用”。访问期间，他还与加拿大学者、商界领袖和官员进行了交流。

巴拉克里希南访问渥太华之前，加拿大总理马克·卡尼于2025年10月访问了新加坡。卡尼和黄之锋总理庆祝了两国建交60周年，同时重申了他们对自由贸易的承诺。

中东燃料供应中断

巴拉克里希南在飞往加拿大前访问了卡塔尔。他表示，新加坡必须预料到来自中东地区的燃料供应将进一步中断。9月19日，他在对媒体发表讲话时指出，卡塔尔是新加坡液化天然气（LNG）的主要出口国，伊朗战争，特别是霍尔木兹海峡的关闭，对卡塔尔及其向新加坡的LNG出口都造成了重大阻碍。“幸运的是，新加坡的燃料来源多元化，因此我们能够应对此次中断，”他说道。他表示，卡塔尔和新加坡都将继续坚持航行自由，尤其是在霍尔木兹海峡等国际航道上。然而，他表示，他认为短期内无法找到解决方案，并指出红海南端曼德海峡的最新事态发展将影响沙特阿拉伯的出口，“这是另一个警示信号”。 9月11日，也门胡塞武装（由伊朗支持）控制了曼德海峡也门一侧。曼德海峡是红海和苏伊士运河的南部门户，也是连接欧亚大陆的重要航运通道。自伊朗封锁霍尔木兹海峡切断沙特阿拉伯经由海湾的石油运输以来，作为世界最大的石油出口国，沙特阿拉伯一直依赖红海。胡塞武装占领曼德海峡的三个小岛后，增强了其袭击沙特油轮的能力。“坦率地说，我们必须预料到中东地区的燃料供应将进一步中断，”巴拉克里希南说道。

“这仍然是一个令人担忧的领域，我们将继续密切关注，并与我们的合作伙伴密切、谨慎地开展合作。”

Laura Chia是一位报道突发新闻和时事的记者，对体育也颇感兴趣。

政治与政府