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Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC)

Explore how Singapore helped bridge East Asia and Latin America through FEALAC—boosting regional dialogue, cooperation, and cultural exchange since 1999.

Last updated 7 November 2025

Overview

The Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) was initiated by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1998 to establish a link between East Asia and Latin America. At that time, both shores of the Pacific were joined through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) while Europe was linked to Asia through the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Thus, FEALAC was formed to bridge these two regions and now comprises 36 countries.

As a founding member of FEALAC, Singapore has been an active participant in the FEALAC process. Singapore hosted the inaugural FEALAC Senior Officials' Meeting in September 1999 and played a supporting role at the Second Senior Officials and First Ministerial Meetings in March 2001 in Santiago, Chile. Singapore has also undertaken several initiatives to foster greater inter-regional cooperation through FEALAC:

  • Singapore has organised the FEALAC Journalists' Visit Programme (JVP) since 2000. To date, there have been 21 editions of the JVP involving 122 journalists from across Latin America.

  • Singapore launched the FEALAC Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) on 22 August 2005, during which participants exchanged views to foster greater awareness and understanding of the two regions.

More information can be found on the FEALAC official website and in the Keynote Address by then-DPM and Minister (Law) Prof S Jayakumar at The FEALAC Young Parliamentarians Forum in August 2005.

Recent highlights

2025

  • Singapore hosted the 22nd FEALAC JVP from 13 to 16 May 2025.

2023

  • Singapore hosted the 21st FEALAC JVP from 23 to 27 October 2023.

2019

  • Singapore hosted the 20th FEALAC JVP from 1 to 6 September 2019.

  • Senior Minister of State (Defence) (Foreign Affairs) Dr Maliki Osman attended the 9th FEALAC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic from 8 to 10 November 2019. SMS Maliki reiterated Singapore’s commitment to FEALAC’s objectives of promoting inter-regional understanding and cultural awareness. On the sidelines of the FMM, SMS Maliki met Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic Miguel Vargas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama Alejandro Ferrer, and State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Suzuki Keisuke.

2018

  • Singapore hosted the 19th FEALAC JVP from 10 to 14 September 2018.