Amid brewing trade tensions, the newly signed trade pact between Singapore and the European Union sends the message that both parties remain committed to the values of free trade and cooperation, said Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong on Friday (Oct 19).
He also hopes that other countries will maintain this commitment and continue to uphold the rules-based multilateral system, which he says has benefited all countries.
Lee was speaking to the Singapore media shortly after signing the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) in Brussels.
The Prime Minister has had a packed schedule over the past three days, starting with a one-day official visit to Vienna where he witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding. He then flew to Brussels on Thursday morning to attend the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting and held a string of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
When asked about the mood among European leaders given that the summit coincided with Brexit talks this week, Lee said the departure of Britain from the 28-member European bloc is a “difficult separation” hence negotiations thus far have yielded no conclusion.
Channel NewsAsia
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