Singapore and Ukraine reaffirm ties, sign air deal during President Zelenskyy's visit

SINGAPORE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and Singaporean investors on June 2, as his trip to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 also doubled up as a working visit to Singapore.

During his visit, Singapore and Ukraine also signed an agreement to strengthen air links between Singapore and Ukraine.

At Mr Zelenskyy's meeting with Mr Tharman, both presidents reaffirmed the warm and friendly ties between Singapore and Ukraine.

The leaders also had a wide-ranging discussion on global developments and agreed on the importance of adherence to international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Matters which Mr Zelenskyy discussed with PM Wong included potential sectors where both countries could deepen bilateral cooperation, such as in trade and economic relations.

Both agreed that the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, said the MFA.

Following their meeting, PM Wong and Mr Zelenskyy witnessed the signing of the Ukraine-Singapore Air Services Agreement between Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat, and Ukraine’s ambassador to Singapore Kateryna Zelenko.

The agreement allows airlines from both sides to operate unlimited frequencies of passenger and cargo services between Singapore and any point in Ukraine, with no restrictions on capacity, routing, and aircraft type, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a separate statement.

This is done by utilising third and fourth freedom air transit rights under the International Civil Aviation Organisation, it added. The third freedom is the right to carry passengers or cargo from one’s own country to a foreign country, while the fourth freedom is the right to carry passengers or cargo from a foreign country back to one’s own country.

The pact also provides a more conducive regulatory and business framework for airlines to operate air services between the two countries, said CAAS.

Its signing marked an important milestone in bilateral aviation relations and replaces a previous agreement between the two countries from 2011, noted the authority.

Mr Chee said the deal demonstrates Singapore’s commitment to enhancing aviation partnerships with like-minded countries around the world.

Besides supporting air connectivity between Singapore and Ukraine, the agreement will “create the conditions for stronger economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between our two countries”, said Mr Chee, who is also Second Minister for Finance.

Mr Zelenskyy also met a group of Singaporean investors, both institutional and commercial, on June 2.

They included the heads of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and state investor Temasek, according to the Ukraine President’s official website.

Representatives of Straits Times Index constituents Wilmar International and Singtel, investment firm Blackstone Singapore, the Singapore Business Federation, real estate company Universal Success Enterprises and construction firm Meinhardt Group were also in the mix.

During their meeting, Mr Zelenskyy thanked the Singaporean businesses which continued to operate in Ukraine and maintain employment despite the war, and reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to creating additional attractive incentives for investors.

He also said there is great potential for the further development of trade cooperation between Singapore and Ukraine, especially in the fields of technology and innovation.

The Ukrainian economy will find ways to develop and grow, adapting to new circumstances even in the difficult conditions of the war, he stressed.

Mr Zelenskyy also extended an invitation to the Republic’s investors to participate in a conference on the restoration, reform and modernisation of the Ukrainian economy to be held in Berlin later in June. 

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