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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Americas

Latin America

Singapore's diplomatic relationships and recent highlights with Latin America.

Overview

Singapore enjoys friendly relations with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Relations have expanded in recent years with regular exchanges of high-level visits and Singapore continues to share our development experience with Latin American and Caribbean countries through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).

Economic cooperation between Singapore and Latin America and the Caribbean is increasing steadily. Despite a slowdown in the global economy, Singapore's trade with Latin America and the Caribbean reached S$18.5 billion in 2019. Singapore has also concluded Free Trade Agreements with several Latin American countries: Costa Rica, Panama and Peru. Chile, Mexico and Peru are also members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). We are currently negotiating Free Trade Agreements with two Latin American economic blocs: MERCOSUR which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay; and the Pacific Alliance which consists of Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico. Singapore’s engagement of Latin American and Caribbean countries has also expanded to other non-economic areas such as science and technology, and education.

We also participate in the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) as a co-founding member.

Recent highlights

2020

  • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had a phone call with Colombian President Iván Duque in May 2020. During the call, both leaders discussed strategies to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and post COVID-19 economic recovery.

  • Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan held a videoconference with Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ernesto Araújo on 12 August 2020. Minister Balakrishnan and Minister Araújo re-affirmed the warm ties between Singapore and Brazil and welcomed stronger trade links between both countries.

  • Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan held a videoconference with Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Affairs Rodolfo Solano Quirós on 24 September 2020. Both Ministers also agreed on the importance of strengthening multilateral efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019

  • Senior Minister of State (Defence) (Foreign Affairs) Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman visited the Federative Republic of Brazil from 1 to 2 January 2019 to attend the Inauguration Ceremony of President Jair Bolsonaro. During the visit, SMS Maliki also called on Brazil’s Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo and reaffirmed the warm and substantive ties between both sides.

  • Minister of State (Foreign Affairs) (Social and Family Development) Sam Tan visited Asunción, Paraguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 19 to 22 March 2019. In Asunción, he met Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Castiglioni, Minister of Industry and Commerce Liz Cramer, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugo Saguier Caballero. In Buenos Aires, he met Argentine Minister of Economy Nicolás Dujovne and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Gustavo Zlauvinen on the sidelines of the 2nd United Nations High-Level Conference on the South-South Cooperation (“BAPA+40”).

  • Suriname Minister of Foreign Affairs Yldiz Pollack-Beighle visited Singapore from 6 to 7 August 2019 to attend the Signing Ceremony of the Singapore Convention on Mediation on 7 August. During her visit, she met with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Both sides affirmed the common challenges of small states like Singapore and Suriname, as well as explored ways to deepen the bilateral relationship such as facilitating greater business and tourism exchanges.

  • A delegation led by Lemann Foundation President Jorge Lemann, comprising a group of Brazilian State Governors and Vice-Governors from the states of Pernambuco, Ceará, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, and Sergipe, visited Singapore from 11 to 13 September 2019. The delegation was hosted to breakfast by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and called on Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung. They also met with key public service leaders and education officials. The visit emphasised the growing ties between Singapore and Brazil.

  • Cuban Vice President of the Council of Ministers Roberto Morales Ojeda visited Singapore from 24 to 27 October 2019. Morales met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. His visit reaffirmed the warm bilateral ties and the strong cooperation between Singapore and Cuba at multilateral fora.

  • Senior Minister of State (Defence) (Foreign Affairs) Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman attended the 9th FEALAC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic on 9 November 2019. At the FMM, he met with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Suzuki Keisuke and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama Alejandro Ferrer. SMS Maliki also highlighted Singapore’s commitment to FEALAC’s objectives in bridging the East Asian and Latin American regions and promoting inter-regional understanding.

  • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited the United Mexican States from 17 to 20 November 2019. He met with and was hosted to a lunch by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. PM also addressed the Mexican Senate and met the President of the Senate Political Coordination Board Ricardo Monreal Ávila. PM met Mayor of Mexico City Dr Claudia Sheinbaum, who presented PM with the “Distinguished Guest of the City and Mayor” medal. Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard also hosted PM to lunch with the Mexican State Governors from the north (Durango), centre (Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí) and south (Oaxaca). PM’s first official visit to Mexico underscored the growing bilateral relations between both countries, underpinned by the increased high-level interactions, and growth in trade and investment flows.

2018

  • Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan made a working visit to Argentina from 20 to 23 May to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) and meet Argentine leaders. The G20 FMM took place on 20 and 21 May 2018. During the visit, Minister Balakrishnan called on President Mauricio Macri. They reaffirmed the strong bilateral relationship between Singapore and Argentina.  Minister Balakrishnan also separately met Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Faurie; Minister of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation Lino Barañao; Minister of the Treasury Nicolás Dujovne; Minister of Finance Luis Caputo; and Minister of Modernization Andrés Ibarra. Minister Balakrishnan also held fruitful meetings with his counterparts from Australia, Chile, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 FMM.

  • Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Aloysio Nunes Ferreira made an Official Visit to Singapore from 7 to 9 May. During his visit, he called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and met Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran. The leaders noted the robust and strengthening economic ties between Singapore and Brazil, and between Singapore and the MERCOSUR trade bloc.  Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan also hosted Minister Nunes Ferreira to breakfast.

  • Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina Jorge Faurie made a working visit to Singapore from 31 July to 2 August to attend the 51st ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) as a Guest of the Chair.  At the 51st AMM, he signed Argentina’s Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and briefed the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on Argentina’s G20 Presidency.  Minister Faurie also called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, had separate meetings with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, and addressed the Argentina-Singapore Business Forum during his visit. 

  • Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado made a working visit to Singapore from 23 to 25 October 2018.  During her visit, Vice President Saint Malo called on President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Prior to her meeting with Coordinating Minister of Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan, Vice President Saint Malo signed a Confidential Memorandum of Understanding to bring into effect the air traffic rights under the Air Services Agreement (signed in 2014).  Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan also hosted Vice President Saint Malo to lunch, before which they signed a Memorandum of Understanding of Policy Consultations to establish periodic political consultations between our Foreign Ministries to facilitate an exchange of views on regional and international developments.

  • President of Chile Sebastián Piñera made a working visit to Singapore from 14 to 16 November at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to attend the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits as a Guest of the ASEAN Chair.  President Piñera attended a working lunch hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for ASEAN Leaders and Guests of the ASEAN Chair, with the theme of “Free Trade and the Global Economy” on 14 November, as well as the Gala Dinner on the same evening.  He also had meetings with President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee.  Both sides affirmed the warm and friendly ties between Singapore and Chile and looked forward to the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2019.

  • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a working visit to Argentina from 28 November to 1 December 2018 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  During the visit, Argentine President Mauricio Macri hosted Prime Minister Lee to breakfast at Quinta de Olivos, the official residence of the President.  Both Leaders welcomed the strengthening of bilateral relations under President Macri’s Administration, and committed to boosting economic ties between Singapore and Argentina through the conclusion of economic agreements including a Bilateral Investment Treaty and Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement.  To strengthen region-to-region ties, they also agreed to commence negotiations on a MERCOSUR-Singapore Free Trade Agreement during Argentina’s Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR in the first half of 2019.  Prime Minister Lee also had meetings with members of the National Congress of Argentina and Mayor of Buenos Aires City Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.

  • Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan made a working visit to Mexico to attend the Inauguration Ceremony of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on 1 December 2018. 

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