Working Visit of Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang to Iceland, 8 to 10 October 2026

Minister of State (MOS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang visited Reykjavík, Iceland from 8 to 10 October 2026 to attend the 2026 Arctic Circle Assembly (ACA). Singapore has attended every session of the ACA since its inception in 2013, as part of Singapore’s ongoing engagement of the Arctic region.

MOS Gan participated in the opening day plenary on a panel titled “Melting Poles: Perspectives from India & Singapore”. She highlighted that although Singapore is geographically distant from the Arctic, developments in the region could have implications for Singapore in terms of climate impact, maritime interests, and sustainable development. MOS Gan also profiled Singapore’s contributions to the Arctic as an Arctic Council (AC) Observer, and emphasised the importance of international law and cooperation in addressing shared challenges such as rapid environmental change. In addition, MOS Gan announced the launch of an enhanced Singapore-Arctic Council Permanent Participants’ Cooperation Package II (SAP2) – a five-year initiative to deepen Singapore’s engagement of the Arctic region through training, exchanges, and opportunities to share knowledge and experiences, including with the Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ communities.  

On the sidelines of the ACA, MOS Gan met Iceland President Halla Tómasdóttir, Iceland Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, and Arctic Circle Chairman Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. She also held separate meetings with representatives from other Arctic States and Arctic Observers, including UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Uma Kumaran, as well as US Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski. They discussed developments in the Arctic, Singapore’s Observership of the (AC), and avenues for deepening multilateral and bilateral cooperation, including on Artificial Intelligence. They also exchanged views on international and regional developments. 

MOS Gan departs Iceland for Singapore today.

.    .    .    .    .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

10 OCTOBER 2026