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Australia

Overview

Singapore and Australia share longstanding and multifaceted relations. Australia was among the first countries to recognise our independence. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2015. Both countries also work closely in multilateral forums and enjoy warm people-to-people relations.

Our close relationship was elevated with the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2015. The CSP is a broad-ranging agreement that serves to deepen engagement across five pillars: Economics and Trade, Defence and Foreign Affairs, People-to-People, Science and Innovation, and Digital Economy.

Australia is an important economic partner for Singapore. Trade and investment links between both countries are strong.  The Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was signed on 17 February 2003 and entered into force on 28 July 2003. A revised Agreement entered into force in December 2017.  In August 2020, Singapore and Australia signed the Digital Economy Agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in trade facilitation, digital identities, fintech, and e-payments. We share a close relationship on tax matters and an Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation was entered into force on February 1969. Both countries deepened our tax cooperation by commencing the first automatic exchange of financial account information and country-by-country reports in 2018.

Singapore and Australia enjoy close defence ties, founded on substantive interactions and common perspectives on many issues. The Singapore Armed Forces trains in Australia, both unilaterally and bilaterally with the Australian Defence Force. In March 2020, Singapore and Australia signed the Treaty on Military Training and Training Area Development, a key deliverable of the CSP.  Building on 30 years of Singapore’s training in Australia, the Treaty underpins the A$2.25 billion investment to jointly develop military training areas, as well as advanced training facilities in Central and North Queensland, which will benefit both armed forces and deepen defence cooperation. Singapore and Australia also cooperate closely in multilateral forums such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.

Singapore and Australia have cooperated closely to tackle the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have collaborated on contact tracing technologies, supply chain connectivity and the repatriation of our peoples. Both Singapore and Australia are parties to plurilateral statements that reaffirm our commitment to maintain trade flows for essential goods, including: (a) the Joint Ministerial Statement on Supply Chain Connectivity issued in
March 2020; and (b) Joint Ministerial Statement on Flow of Goods and Services and the Essential Movement of People issued in May 2020. Singapore and Australia are co-sponsors of the Joint Statement on Open Markets, Flow of Essential Goods and Supply Chain Connectivity issued by the UN on 20 May 2020.

Recent Highlights

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    • Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall visited Singapore from 13 to 15 January. He called on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat and met with Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran.
    • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held the 5th Singapore-Australia Leaders’ Meeting via videoconference on 23 March. Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham and Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds were also involved in the meeting.During the meeting, the Leaders witnessed the signing of the Treaty on Military Training and Training Area Development and seven MOUs under the ambit of the Digital Economy Agreement. MOUs on cybersecurity and food safety standards were also signed.
    • Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the phone on 16 July. Prime Minister Morrison congratulated Prime Minister Lee on the results of the General Election 2020, and they exchanged views on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving economic recovery. 
    • Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham signed the Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement electronically via videoconference on 6 August.
    • Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne made an official visit to Singapore from 7 to 9 October. She called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was hosted to lunch by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and met Minister of State in the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education Sun Xueling, in her capacity as Minister for Women.
    • Australian Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne made an introductory visit to Singapore from 26 to 28 January 2019. During the visit, he met Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, and was the keynote speaker at the 7th Fullerton Forum: The Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting.
    • Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, and Minister for Trade & Industry Chan Chun Sing visited Sydney on 29 March for the 11th meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC).
    • Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Singapore for the annual Leaders’ Meeting in June 2019. He was accompanied by Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne.
    • Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds visited Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2019.
    • Victoria Governor Linda Dessau called on President Halimah Yacob during her visit to Singapore in October 2019.
    • Australian Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne visited Singapore on 18 January, during which he met Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
    • Australian Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited Singapore from 23 to 24 January, during which she met Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and was hosted to lunch by Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo.
    • Australian Minister for Human Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation Michael Keenan visited Singapore from 29 to 31 January 2018, during which he met Minister in-charge of Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.
    • Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman visited Perth, Australia from 1 to 2 February 2018 for the Sub-Regional Defence Ministers’ Meeting on Counter-Terrorism, where he met Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne.
    • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made an Official Visit to Sydney, Australia from 15 to 18 March 2018 at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. While in Sydney, Prime Minister Lee participated in the 3rd Singapore – Australia Leaders’ Summit, an annual meeting established under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Singapore and Australia in 2015. Prime Minister Lee also co-chaired the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit with Prime Minister Turnbull from 17 to 18 March 2018.
    • Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim made a working visit to Canberra, Australia from 26 to 28 March 2018, where he met Australian Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity Angus Taylor.
    • Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne visited Singapore for the 17th Shangri La Dialogue on 2 June 2018, where she met Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.
    • Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells visited Singapore on 14 June 2018, where she met Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sam Tan.
    • Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese visited Singapore from 9 to 10 July 2018 for the World Cities Summit, and was hosted to tea by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Apart from Lord Mayor Haese, other Australian personalities including Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission Lucy Turnbull, Northern Territory Assistant Minister for a Vibrant Darwin CBD Paul Kirby MLA, Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis JP, Casey Mayor Emeritus Sam Aziz, Nedlands Mayor Max Hipkins, Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood, and Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill had also visited Singapore for the World Cities Summit.  
    • Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop visited Singapore for the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings from 3 to 4 August 2018, during which she met Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
    • Western Australian Minister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming, Small Business, Defence Issues, Citizenship and Multicultural Interests Paul Papalia visited Singapore from 2 to 4 September 2018, where he met Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman.
    • Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan met Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne on the sidelines of the 73rdUnited Nations General Assembly in New York on 28 September 2018.
    • Australian Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne visited Singapore for the 5th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus from 19 to 20 October 2018, where he met Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.
    • Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam met Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton on the sidelines of the Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter Terrorism in Jakarta, which took place from 5 to 6 November 2018.
    • Australian Minister for Defence Industry Steven Ciobo visited Singapore from 8 to 10 November 2018, and was hosted to lunch by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and breakfast by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
    • Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Singapore to 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from 13 to 15 November 2018, where he met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines. Prime Minister Lee also chaired the ASEAN – Australia Informal Breakfast Summit on 14 November 2018, which Prime Minister Morrison attended.
    • Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How made a working visit to Australia from 9 to 13 November 2018, in conjunction with the Singapore Armed Force’s joint military exercise with the Australian Defence Force, Exercise Trident.  
    • Senior Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman met Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne on the sidelines of the 30th APEC Ministerial Meeting in Port Moresby on 15 November 2018.

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