AhramOnline: How do you see the political and diplomatic relations between Egypt and Singapore?
Amb. Goh: Our political ties are especially robust and our leaders have regular exchanges. Over the past year, we have welcomed several Singaporean leaders to Egypt, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan in March 2024, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Education Dr Maliki Osman in November 2023, and Mufti of Singapore Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir in July 2024. During his visit, Minister Maliki signed an agreement with then-Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Loza on the mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic passports. This agreement will foster closer collaboration between our officials.
We had several senior Egyptian officials visit Singapore, such as Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr Shawki Allam, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr Amr Talaat, and Executive Director of the National Training Academy Dr Rasha Ragheb.
Our leaders also meet on the sidelines of multilateral meetings. Minister Maliki met Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Dr Rania Al-Mashat at the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting, while Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat met Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk at the G20 Finance Ministerial Meeting.
AhramOnline: What shared interests do both nations possess that can serve as a foundation for further advancing bilateral relations?
Amb. Goh: Singapore and Egypt share a common interest in a rules-based global order and respect for international law. As maritime countries and hubs for our respective regions, open sea routes and sea lines of communication are vital for our survival.
Our countries also believe in the importance of tackling violent extremism and Singapore fully supports Egypt and Al-Azhar’s role in spreading the message of moderation and tolerance. In this regard, we have more than 150 students studying at Al-Azhar University. Singapore is also working with the Anglican Diocese in Egypt on interfaith dialogue, and our Mufti delivered a speech at the Anglican Cathedral in Zamalek on Singapore’s policies to maintain racial and religious harmony.
AhramOnline: What about the Israeli war on Gaza?
Amb. Goh: Both countries believe that the only viable pathway to a comprehensive, just, and durable solution to the crisis is a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with all the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. We also continue to support the efforts made by all parties, including Egypt, to reach a ceasefire agreement.
For our part, Singapore has contributed more than $12 million worth of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, and we appreciate Egypt’s assistance with the delivery of our aid to Gaza. With the help of the Egyptian authorities and the Egyptian Red Crescent, Singapore sent an aircraft to Arish Airport in November 2023 carrying more than $5 million worth of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, blankets, sanitation items, and food for the victims of the war. In January this year, the Singapore Armed Forces also deployed a medical team to the French ship FS Dixmude in Arish Port to treat the war casualties. More recently, the Singapore Red Cross sent a team of volunteers to Cairo in April to work with the Egyptian Red Crescent to deliver around $600,000 in food and medical aid to the people of Gaza. While Singapore is located far from Gaza, I am proud that our people have been contributing generously to help alleviate the suffering of the Gaza people.
AO: Can you highlight the priorities of your diplomatic agenda in Egypt?
Amb. Goh: We cannot rest on our laurels and I will promote more high-level exchanges and business interactions between Singaporean and Egyptian companies. I also like to see more student exchanges and Singaporean tourists visiting Egypt. Given the importance of human resource development in Egypt, we will work towards training more Egyptian officials under Singapore’s technical assistance programmes.
AhramOnline: What is your assessment of the current economic cooperation between the two countries?
Amb. Goh: Our economic relations are strong and Singapore is the fourth biggest investor in Egypt from East Asia with around $1 billion (as of 2021) worth of investments. Our companies here are doing well in the agriculture, logistics, food production, and chemical industries.
New Singaporean companies are venturing into Egypt. Last year, Changi Airports International signed two agreements with Cairo Airport Company to implement solutions to improve the passenger experience at Cairo International Airport and to conduct a feasibility study for the development of Cairo Cargo City.
Moreover, I met the Minister of Investment and External Trade Hassan ElKhatib recently. We agreed it is important to promote more trade and investments from Singapore. For our part, Olam Food Industries, one of our largest food companies, sees the importance of Egypt, its large market, and its strategic location, and Olam will continue to expand its investments in Egypt.
AhramOnline: Is there any promising cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism?
Amb. Goh: A Singaporean company, NEON Global, is working closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to promote tourism to Egypt. NEON has been organizing the Ramses the Great Exhibition in Houston, San Francisco, Paris, and Sydney. The exhibition is now in Cologne, Germany, and will move to Tokyo next. In this way, NEON helps to create interest in Egypt’s culture and history and therefore helps to increase tourism. I met Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy and he appreciated all the work Singapore is doing to help promote tourism to Egypt.
# Source: AhramOnline..
