Singapore to set up embassy in Ethiopia, offer study visits for African officials
Both sides can catalyse trade and investment flows between their regions, says PM Wong
[SINGAPORE] Singapore will set up an embassy in Ethiopia – its third in Africa – and is launching a Singapore-Africa partnership offering study visits through which African officials can learn about the city-state’s development, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Monday (Nov 24).
The embassy, to be in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, will be Singapore’s first in East Africa. On the continent, Singapore also has embassies in Cairo in Egypt and Pretoria in South Africa.
At a joint press conference with his counterpart Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali, PM Wong said the new embassy is a “tangible demonstration” of Singapore’s commitment to its partnership with Ethiopia, and its belief in Ethiopia’s strategic importance and potential.
He said the two leaders agreed there is more that both countries can do together, and many opportunities to connect the two regions.
“As hubs in our respective parts of the world, Singapore and Ethiopia can catalyse more trade and investment flows between South-east Asia and Africa,” he said.
The embassy would enable Singapore to strengthen its ties with Africa as a whole, he added. “Because being here in Addis Ababa will allow us to better engage the African Union, deepen our understanding of Africa, and explore new areas of cooperation.”
The aim is to set up the new embassy by 2027, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement.
As the African Union is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Singapore’s presence there will “deepen and broaden” its engagement with the continent through the African Union and its specialised agencies, such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said MFA.
Learning from each other
The newly launched Singapore-Africa Partnership Leading to Growth and Sustainability (Saplings) package will offer African officials customised study visits to Singapore, as well as executive education programmes and postgraduate scholarships in Singapore universities.
Referring to the name of the package, PM Wong said: “It is a very long phrase, but the short form is Saplings because we want to see these as green shoots which we are planting, which can grow into big, sturdy, strong trees, just like the saplings we planted early this morning.”
He noted that it is a two-way exchange, as Singapore will also learn from the Africans.
Noting that Dr Abiy had spoken about Ethiopia stepping up its engagements with developed countries, PM Wong said: “To be clear, Singapore is not a developed country. We see ourselves as a tiny little island; always vulnerable, exposed to so many external challenges, and always trying to keep ahead.”
On the other hand, Singapore sees Ethiopia as “an ancient civilisation with a long and proud history, a diverse people, and tremendous potential to do much more going forward”.
“So this is not about us teaching Ethiopia at all or offering lessons. It is a partnership of equals,” he said.
He noted that Dr Abiy’s official visit to Singapore last year had injected “positive momentum” to their bilateral relationship. On Thursday, the two countries also inked two memorandums of understanding (MOUs).
The first is on strengthening cooperation in skills development. Under the agreement, Singapore will share expertise on Ethiopia’s priority sectors.
These include leadership and governance, civil aviation, smart mobility, port management, food safety and security, and water management.
This may be done through joint research activities, workshops and conferences, among other avenues.
Under the second MOU, both countries will deepen collaboration in sustainability, particularly in carbon credits, to help meet their climate targets.
This includes the exchange of best practices and knowledge on carbon market mechanisms, as well as future collaboration on initiatives to support the development of high-integrity carbon markets.
Ahead of the joint press conference, PM Wong visited the Adwa Victory Memorial Monument in the morning, where he laid a wreath.
The monument celebrates the Ethiopian army’s victory over an invading Italian army in 1896. Ethiopia is believed to be one of only two African countries that have never been colonised.
PM Wong then attended a welcome ceremony with Dr Abiy at the National Palace, which was followed by a series of meetings.
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