MFA Press Statement: The Ninth Session of the High-Level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission, 19 September 2018

DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam and DPM Maxim Akimov with Singapore delegation members Minister for Manpower Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman, and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry Dr Koh Poh Koon at the Ninth Session of the IGC in Singapore, 19 September 2018. [Photo credit: MFA Singapore]

DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam and DPM Maxim Akimov with the signed Joint Statement of the Ninth Session of the IGC in Singapore, 19 September 2018. [Photo credit: MFA Singapore]

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Maxim Akimov co-chaired the Ninth Session of the High-Level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC9) in Singapore on 19 September 2018.

DPM Tharman and DPM Akimov noted that 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Singapore. They reaffirmed the good and growing ties between the two countries, and the importance of the IGC in serving as a platform to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly trade, investment and business ties. The DPMs agreed that both sides should keep up the momentum of cooperation achieved in recent years, and identified new areas of cooperation to broaden and deepen the relationship. In this regard, they welcomed expanding new collaborations in innovation, transport and logistics and education and skills training.

First, the DPMs reaffirmed Singapore and Russia’s strong support for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and welcomed the progress made since the launch of FTA negotiations in 2017. Both sides are committed to working together on a bilateral Services & Investment Agreement, as part of the EAEU-Singapore FTA. The FTA, when concluded, will enhance economic linkages between Singapore and Russia, as well as with the other EAEU Member States.

Second, the DPMs welcomed greater collaboration between Singapore and Russian regions in areas of mutual interest, such as urban planning, transport and logistics. In particular, the DPMs welcomed the discussions between the St Petersburg authorities and a consortium comprising Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), ST Engineering and other Singapore companies on a possible Urban Transport Management System (UTMS) in St Petersburg City, and expressed hope that an agreement could be signed by the end of 2018. Once it succeeds, this has the potential to be replicated in other cities.

Third, the DPMs encouraged deepening cooperation in new areas such as innovation. The promotion of start-up ecosystems and developing the digital economy are common interests to both countries. The DPMs welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), a Russian venture capital fund, and Singapore’s Action for Community Entrepreneurship, as well as the signing of an MOU between the Russian Export Centre (REC), Skolkovo Foundation, Sistema Group and Enterprise Singapore (ESG). These MOUs will allow start-ups from both countries to gain access to networks, markets, and resources in both Singapore and Russia. The DPMs agreed to further encourage commercial partnerships in the information and communications technology sector and digital economy.

Both DPMs signed the Joint Statement (appended) upon the conclusion of the IGC, and looked forward to further progress before the Tenth Session of the IGC in Russia in 2019. The DPMs also expressed strong support for the Russia-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF) 2018, that will take place on 20 September 2018.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
19 SEPTEMBER 2018

JOINT STATEMENT OF THE NINTH SESSION OF THE HIGH-LEVEL RUSSIA-SINGAPORE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

The Ninth session of the High-level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission (hereinafter referred to as “the Commission”) was held in Singapore
on 19 September 2018 to promote the development of broad-based cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Singapore and the Government of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”).

The session was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mr. Maxim Akimov and Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies of the Republic of Singapore Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The meeting was held in an atmosphere of cordiality, friendliness and mutual understanding.

The agenda is attached at Annex I.
The lists of the delegations of the Parties are attached at Annex II.
The Parties agreed on the following areas of cooperation.

Bilateral Relations between Russia and Singapore

1. The Parties agreed to expedite the preparation and endorsement of bilateral agreements which are currently under consideration.

2. The Parties took note of the commemorative activities held in Singapore and Moscow to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Singapore on 1 June 2018.

3. The Parties looked forward to the ground-breaking ceremony of the Russian Cultural Centre complex which will house a Russian Orthodox Church, in conjunction with the visit by the President of the Russian Federation, His Excellency Vladimir Putin, to Singapore in November 2018, and to cooperating closely on the design concept.

Trade and Economic Cooperation

4. The Parties emphasized the potential for further intensification of economic cooperation and business ties and noted the importance of strengthening trade, investment and economic relations between Russia and Singapore.

5. The Parties welcomed the work on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its member states and Singapore during the 5th round of negotiations. The Parties noted the good progress made thus far on the FTA.

6. The Parties welcomed the beginning of the negotiations on the bilateral Services and Investment Agreement between Russia and Singapore which makes up part of the single package, and expressed hope on the most fruitful negotiations.

7. The Parties welcomed the organization of the Russia-Singapore Business Forum (RSBF) 2018 on the sidelines of the Commission on 20 September 2018 in Singapore.

8. The Parties welcomed the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between JSC Russian Export Center, the Russia-Singapore Business Council (RSBC) and Progression Engineering Pte Ltd. aimed at promotion of Russian high-tech products in Singapore and other countries of South-East Asia.

9. The Parties welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of a platform to promote Russian information and communications technologies companies in Singapore and for South-East Asian and Singaporean companies in Russia between Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Sistema Asia Pte. Ltd, JSC Russian Export Center and Skolkovo Foundation.

10. The Parties noted the following initiatives by RSBC, namely to organize business missions by Russian innovative high-tech companies to Singapore, the establishment of a Youth RSBC aimed at supporting students and young professionals’ engagement in the development of bilateral business relations, and the plan to hold the 4th International Conference “Russia-Singapore Business Dialogue” in Singapore in 2019.

11. The Parties welcomed collaboration between the two countries' innovative enterprises, and recognized the need to support innovative companies of both countries to promote new trade capabilities.

12. The Parties welcomed the development of the partnership between the Skolkovo Foundation and the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), and looked forward to the signing of an MOU aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in innovation and promoting Russian high-tech companies in Singapore and other Asian countries in conjunction with President Putin’s visit to Singapore in November 2018.

13. The Parties welcomed the development of the partnership between the Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF) and ACE, and welcomed the signing of an MOU on strategic bilateral cooperation to support and connect the start-up ecosystems of Russia and Singapore at the Commission on 19 September 2018.

Regional Cooperation

14. The Parties expressed their intention to further develop cooperation between companies from the Russian regions and Singapore.

15. The Russian party expressed readiness to continue support for Singapore companies that are implementing joint projects in the Russian Far East, including within the framework of the advanced special economic zones and the Free Port of Vladivostok, and welcomed business missions from Singapore to the Russian Far East.

16. The Parties discussed the prospects of Singapore companies’ participation in Russky Island development projects, such as in collaborations to establish innovative infrastructure, technology parks and innovation centers in the institutes of higher learning.

17. The Parties welcomed the further development of cooperation and the strengthening of mutual understanding between St. Petersburg and Singapore, and expressed their intention to encourage and support the initiatives of government authorities, public and other organizations in the field of innovation in urban development, waste management, transport management, and ports (harbor infrastructure).

18. The Parties agreed to support the development and preparation for the signing of an Agreement between the St. Petersburg Government and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), including on a roadmap for detailed research, consulting, feasibility study, and the possibility of implementing the Urban Transport Management System Complex of the City on the basis of the Intelligent Transport Platform, in conjunction with President Putin’s visit to Singapore in November 2018.

19. The Parties welcomed further development of cooperation and strengthening of mutual understanding between the Moscow region and Singapore. The Russian party also expressed its readiness to support Singapore investors in the implementation of projects in the Moscow region, including the proposal to create a joint Russia-Singapore industrial park in Zhukovsky.

Interbank cooperation

20. The Parties agreed to recommend the Bank of Russia and the Monetary Authority of Singapore to continue joint work to develop interbank cooperation.

Cooperation in the Field of Information and Communication Technologies

21. The Parties stated their mutual interest in developing cooperation between the relevant departments, associations and companies of both countries in the field of information and communication technologies, in particular in the field of joint development of software, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence.

Cooperation in Agriculture

22. The Russian party confirmed its readiness to broaden partnership with Singapore in the sphere of agricultural investment cooperation and to support Singapore companies in the implementation of joint agricultural projects in Russia.

23. The Parties agreed that the Singapore party will provide feedback with in regard to the materials submitted by the Rosselkhoznadzor on access of Russian pork and poultry to Singapore until the end of September 2018.

24. The Parties agreed that the responsible authorities of Russia and Singapore will work towards finalising the veterinary certificate for the supply of poultry and poultry by-products, as well as processed poultry products from Russia to Singapore by the end of November 2018.

On the Proposals of the Russian Companies for Cooperation with Singapore

25. The Parties agreed to work together on promoting favorable conditions for companies to continue operations in both countries.

26. The Russian party informed the Singapore party about the interest of JSC “ROTEC” to become a member of the Association for Sustainable Energy of Singapore (SEAS) and to supply power engineering products in Singapore.

27. The Parties noted the initiative of RSBC with the support of the State Corporation “Rostec” to create and develop the “Joint Center for Foreign Promotion of High-Tech Companies and Presentation of Investment Projects” in Singapore with Progression Engineering (S) Pte. Ltd, with the aim of creating technological, engineering and production cooperation and increasing trade turnover between Russia and Singapore, as well as joint access to the markets of third countries.

28. The Parties noted the joint work of RSBC, the State Corporation “Rostec”, JSC “YSAR+”, Progression Engineering (S) Pte. Ltd., United Crest Healthcare Pte. Ltd. in the field of telemedicine.

29. The Parties noted the interest of RSBC and the State Corporation “Rostec” To explore cooperation with Singapore industry organisations in the field of establishing joint infrastructure for marketing, certification, customization and operation of the Russian high-tech civilian aircraft in South-East Asia region the South-East Asia.

30. The Parties welcomed the joint cooperation of RSBC, the State Corporation “Rostec”, the Moscow Government, and the ITE Education Services on the establishment of a Center for professional training and certification of staff in the field of technical and Vocational Education and Training in Moscow.

31. The Parties noted the efforts of the Russia-Singapore Business Council to develop RSTrade information and services platform and agreed to support integration with similar Singapore platforms including vCargoCloud.

32. The Parties noted the interest of Russian energy companies, such as the Gazprom Group and JSC “NOVATEK”, to cooperate with Singapore energy companies to develop commercial operations in Singapore.

33. The Parties are supportive of opportunities for GazpromNeft to expand trade operations in Singapore and establish its new office on the base of existing Gazprom office in Singapore.

34. The Parties noted the implementation of joint research project between “Kaspersky Lab” and the National University of Singapore (NUS) under the National Cybersecurity Research Programme. Both Parties welcomed discussions on potential joint research projects in the field of industrial cybersecurity and IoT.

35. The Parties emphasized the successful collaboration between Changi Airports International, RDIF, and Basel in the acquisition of Knevichi Airport in Vladivostok.

36. The Parties agreed to continue cooperation in the development of the airport in compliance with the available support measures, including the status of a free economic zone of the Primorsky Krai and other measures to ensure the development of the Far East of Russia.

SEZ Cooperation

37. The Parties noted the interest to develop bilateral cooperation to promote the Russian Special Economic Zones (SEZs) among Singapore companies, and the invitation to Singapore representatives to examine SEZs in Russia.

38. The Parties noted the interest to exchange best practices in the field of Special Economic Zones in Russia and Singapore to create transparent conditions for the Russian and Singapore business entities.

Cooperation in Science and Education

39. The Parties noted importance of academic mobility development and cooperation between universities of two countries.

40. The Parties discussed matters of cooperation in education and culture, and noted the importance of developing mutual understanding by learning languages and cultures such as through educational programmes aimed at comprehensive study of the region.

41. The Parties welcomed the promotion of the Russian language and culture through inter-university cooperation.

42. The Parties extended their support to educational cooperation in the arts and science between their institutions of higher learning through joint programmes and exchanges.

43. The Parties expressed intention to pursue educational cooperation by conducting joint scientific and applied research between organizations of Russian and Singapore.

44. The Parties agreed to explore scientific and technological collaboration through joint projects between scientific centres, research institutes and universities of Russia and Singapore for commercial applications, in the following areas of mutual interest:
  - biomedical research, particularly molecular oncology, synthetic biology, genomic and regenerative medicine, pharmacology;
  - marine science, technology research and development;
  - new materials development;
  - digital science and technologies, including VR and AR technologies.

Cooperation in Transport

45. The Parties agreed to continue intergovernmental cooperation and experience exchange on using and adoption of digital technology in the field of transport and logistics.

Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security

46. The Parties noted ongoing discussions on cybersecurity cooperation between both countries, focusing on efforts to strengthen resilience to cyberattacks, through technological and educational dialogue.

Cooperation in Tourism

47. The Parties expressed intention to facilitate favorable conditions to boost tourism between Russia and Singapore, and looked forward to attending various key tourism exhibitions and conferences in both countries.

48. The Russian Party expressed readiness to present touristic potential of the Primorskiy Krai in Singapore.

49. The Russian Party agreed to facilitate the Singapore Party in presenting touristic potential of Singapore in Russia.

Cooperation in the Legal Sector

50. The Parties agreed to continue cooperation between the Russian Arbitration Center at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration (RIMA) and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre through various activities including conducting mutual visits, joint seminars and training programmes for the Russian arbitrators in the RIMA panel.

Tenth Session of the Commission

51. The Parties expressed satisfaction with the results of the ninth session of the Commission and agreed to hold the tenth session of the Commission in Russia in 2019. The specific dates and venue will be agreed upon through the diplomatic channels.

Done in Singapore on 19 September 2018, in duplicate, in the Russian and English languages, both versions being equally authentic.