Cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Singapore
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Singapore were established on August 12, 1992.
Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Indonesia H.E. Mr. Valery Kolesnik is accredited as the non-resident Ambassador of Belarus to Singapore (credentials were presented to the President of Singapore on January 25, 2018). Singapore has no accredited ambassador to the Republic of Belarus.
In October, 1996 the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus paid a working visit to Singapore.
On March 2–10, 2000 the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations visited Singapore.
On May 14–19, 2000 the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus visited Singapore. Meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Law, the executives at the National Council for Science and Technology, Confederation of Industry, Trade Development Board of Singapore, the representatives of more than 40 Singaporean companies took place. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments was signed.
On September 27, 2011 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Mr. Sergei Martynov held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Law of Singapore Mr. K.Shanmugam in New York.
On September 17, 2012 the delegation of the Republic of Belarus attended the 33rd session of the General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (Lombok Island, Indonesia). The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Mr. Vladimir Guminsky met the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore Mr. Michael Palmer.
On November 13–16, 2012 the delegation of the Republic of Belarus headed by the Deputy Minister of Taxes and Duties of the Republic of Belarus Mrs. Ella Selitskaya visited Singapore to conduct negotiations on the draft Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect of Taxes on Income. A workshop on the experience of the Republic of Singapore in the area of taxation was organized for the Belarusian delegation.
On March 20–21, 2013 the President of the Republic of Belarus Mr.Aleksandr Lukashenko paid a state visit to the Republic of Singapore. The President met with the President of the Republic of Singapore Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam and the Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Lee Hsien Loong. The members of the state delegation met with their Singaporean counterparts. Belarus-Singapore Business Forum was held.
On April 25–28, 2013 the parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Singapore headed by the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Singapore Mdm. Halimah Yacob visited the Republic of Belarus. Meetings of Mdm. Halimah Yacob with the President of the Republic of Belarus Mr.Aleksandr Lukashenko and the chairpersons of the both Chambers of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus were held.
On April 17–19, 2016 the Singaporean delegation headed by the Minister of State for Trade and Industry Dr. Koh Poh Koon visited Belarus.
On April 22, 2016 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mr. Vladimir Makei met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan in New York.
On November 13-14, 2017 the Belarusian delegation headed by Mr. Vasily Matyushevsky, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus was on a working visit to Singapore. The delegation included top representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, the National Agency of Investment and Privatization, the Administration of the China-Belarus Industrial Park «Great Stone», Belinvestbank OJSC, as well as Belarusian businesspersons.
On November 13, 2017 Mr. Vasily Matyushevsky together with Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of National Development of the Republic of Singapore solemnly opened the Belarusian Investment Forum «Belarus Calling Asia» aimed at developing cooperation of our country in financial and investment spheres with the Asian countries.
Belarus and Singapore parliamentary delegations hold regular meetings during yearly sessions of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (2012 – in Indonesia, 2013 – in Brunei, 2014 – in Laos, 2015 – in Malaysia, 2018 – in Singapore).
In August 2019, the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus Oleg Slizhevsky visited Singapore for the signing of the Singapore Convention on Mediation.
In 2020, the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of 7th convocation set up a working group for cooperation with the Parliament of Singapore. In 2020, Singapore-Belarus Parliamentary Friendship Group was formed in the Parliament of Singapore.
Following agreements have been signed between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Singapore:
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Singapore on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (May 15, 2000);
- Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics and Nanyang Technological University College of Engineering (October 28, 2010);
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Singapore for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes (March 22, 2013);
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Singapore on Mutual Waiver of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports (March 21, 2013);
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore Business Federation (March 22, 2013);
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (March 22, 2013).
- FTA agreement between EAEU and Singapore (October 1, 2019)
The draft agreements on civil aviation and on cooperation in the field of education are being negotiated.
Bilateral trade between the Republic of Belarus
and the Republic of Singapore
(U.S. $ million)
|
Period |
Trade |
Export |
Import |
Balance |
|
2006 |
39,6 |
31,9 |
7,7 |
24,2 |
|
2007 |
37,1 |
15,5 |
21,6 |
-6,1 |
|
2008 |
41,0 |
27,0 |
14,0 |
13,0 |
|
2009 |
18,3 |
6,4 |
11,9 |
-5,5 |
|
2010 |
32,8 |
14,0 |
18,8 |
-4,8 |
|
2011 |
23,3 |
10,7 |
12,6 |
-1,9 |
|
2012 |
26,5 |
8,2 |
18,3 |
-10,1 |
|
2013 |
37,4 |
6,5 |
30,9 |
-24,4 |
|
2014 |
27,8 |
3,7 |
24,1 |
-20,4 |
|
2015 |
31,0 |
14,1 |
16,9 |
-2,8 |
|
2016 |
36,8 |
18,3 |
18,5 |
-0,2 |
|
2017 |
37,6 |
19,4 |
18,2 |
1,2 |
|
2018 |
50,9 |
18,5 |
32,4 |
-13,9 |
|
2019 |
40,2 |
24,7 |
15,5 |
9,2 |
| 2020 | 39,7 | 22,3 | 17,4 | 4,9 |
| 2021 | 42,9 | 28,3 | 14,6 | 13,7 |
Three offices of major Belarusian Industrial manufacturers operate in Singapore: a trading house Beltyre Asia Pte Ltd of Belshina JSC since 2009, a trading house Belazia Pte Ltd of BelAZ JSC since 2011, a trading house Eastern Tractor Trading Pte Ltd of Minsk Tractor Works JSC since 2014.The main imports from Singapore to Belarus were chemical products, computer equipment, electrical appliances, radio and medical equipment etc.
Contacts between the Belarus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore Business Federation and the International Chamber of Commerce in Singapore as well as between the banking and financial circles of the two countries are maintained. In May, 2011 the delegation headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and the Director General of the Minsk office of BelCCI Mr. Alexandr Fedorchuk visited Singapore. In 2018 Mr. Vassili Savitch was appointed the representative of BelCCI in Singapore.
In June 2019, a visit of Senior minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore Koh Poh Koon was held to Belarus.
The main Belarusian export position to Singapore, which increased by one third in 2019 is petrochemical products.
In 2019, trade in services increased more than 70%, it is provided by the Belarusian export of IT and other business services, as well as by transportation. Investment cooperation expands.
Belarusian CCI maintains contacts with the Federation of Singapore's business and the International Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the banking and financial community develops contacts as well.
October 1, 2019 in Yerevan FTA agreement between EAEU and Singapore was signed.
In 2020, a significant growth and expansion of the range of Belarusian food exports to Singapore was ensured. In total, food products were delivered in 44 positions for the amount of USD 1.6 million (an increase of 10.8 times).
Bilateral Belarusian-Singaporean political cooperation is developing. In March 2021, online consultations were held between the Ambassador of Belarus in Jakarta Mr.Valery Kolesnik and the Director General for Europe of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Mr.Chong Hock Lee.
In 2021-2022, Belarusian managers and civil servants are being trained in the online courses of the government grant Singapore Cooperation Program.
In 2021, non-commodity export to Singapore increased by 68%, steady growth of food products export continued. The promotion of food products to Singapore was facilitated by the Days of Belarusian Cuisine in Singapore taken place from July 23 to August 29, 2021.
