Germany and Singapore seek closer ties in view of changing landscape
Amid a shifting global order, the foreign ministers of Germany and Singapore discussed deepening cooperation between their countries to uphold a rules-based international system and promote free trade.
- Diplomacy
- DPA
- Published Date: 09:11 | 02 February 2026
Germany's and Singapore's foreign ministers on Monday discussed deepening the cooperation between the two countries amid a shifting global political landscape.
"We are currently experiencing geopolitical shifts and uncertainties," said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at a meeting with his counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in Singapore.
"International cooperation and multilateral institutions are being called into question," Wadephul said. Germany and Singapore know only too well that "we owe our freedom, our security and our prosperity to a stable international order with reliable rules," he added.
"The world order as we understood it for eight decades is over, categorically over," said Balakrishnan.
"However, I still believe that there is a critical mass of countries that continue to believe in a rules-based world order, in multilateralism, in the UN charter, in free and fair trade, in economic integration and in global supply chains."
Singapore's foreign minister called on Germany and the European Union to expand their cooperation with Singapore and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He also raised the prospect of a future free trade agreement between the EU and the ASEAN group of states.
Wadephul is also due to hold talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong while he is in Singapore, before flying to New Zealand on Monday afternoon.
By Friday, Wadephul also plans to visit the Pacific island of Tonga, Australia and the sultanate of Brunei.
Germany and Singapore strengthened their good bilateral relations in 2024 with an action plan specifically focusing on future technologies.
The European Union and Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA), which came into force in 2019, was an important step in this direction.
In the economic metropolis, which is considered a leading financial, technology and logistics hub in the region, around 10,000 European companies are active, including more than 2,000 from Germany.
Singapore maintains free trade agreements with numerous countries, including China (CSFTA) and the United States (USSFTA).
The city-state acts as a neutral partner and maintains good relations with both Beijing and Washington.