DFAT - Joint Communique of the 12th Meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee

Saturday, August 28, 2021

SOURCE: DFAT


  • Joint Communiqué with
  • Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence
  • Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry
  • The Hon Peter Dutton MP, Minister for Defence
  • The Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
27 August 2021
  1. Singapore and Australia Ministers met virtually for the 12th meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee (SAJMC) on 27 August 2021. The Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding and strong partnership between Singapore and Australia, anchored by strategic trust and economic cooperation, and underpinned by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). They acknowledged the unique nature of the SAJMC's 3+3 Ministerial mechanism to both countries and the key role it has played over the past two decades in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
  2. The Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to continue strengthening the CSP, which has made significant strides since its inception in 2015, in an increasingly uncertain and complex strategic environment. Both sides have jointly completed more than 80 initiatives across the five pillars of cooperation: economics, trade and investment; digital economy; foreign affairs, defence and security; science and innovation; and people-to-people links. The Ministers welcomed the good progress in the CSP over the past year in spite of the challenges presented by COVID-19. To keep the CSP forward-looking and ambitious, they also agreed to expand cooperation in emerging areas, including the green economy and FinTech.
  3. Ministers agreed that Australia and Singapore are like-minded countries with a high degree of strategic trust. They affirmed that our partnership is even more important at a time of increasing uncertainty and complexity in the regional strategic environment. They underlined the importance of an open, inclusive, rules-based and resilient Indo-Pacific region, which supports and promotes free trade and open markets and respects the rights of countries to lead their national existence free from external interference, subversion and coercion. Australia and Singapore share a vision for the region that is consistent with the principles of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, including ASEAN Centrality, openness, transparency, inclusivity, good governance, a rules-based framework, and respect for sovereignty and international law. Ministers had a fruitful exchange of views and reaffirmed their commitment to promote regional stability and respect for rules and international law.