Singapore celebrates National Day at Astana Expo 2017

SINGAPORE/ASTANA — Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Dr Koh Poh Koon and Kazakh Vice Minister of Investments and Development Yerlan Khairov attended the Singapore Day celebration on Tuesday (July 25) at the Astana Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan.

More than 350 guests and Expo visitors attended the flag-raising ceremony and cultural performance which told the story of Singapore’s history and transformation, according to a press release by Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).

Dr Koh, on an official visit to Kazakhstan from July 24 to 25, also called on Minister of National Economy, Timur Suleimenov, Vice Minister of Investments and Development, Yerlan Khairov and Mayor of Astana Asset Issekeshev. The Ministers reaffirmed the close ties between both countries and reiterated their commitment to working towards a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Singapore.

Dr Koh also visited the Astana Solar Park, a solar photovoltaic modules production plant to learn about Kazakhstan’s development in sustainable energy. The Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore led a group of Singapore businesses to explore possible opportunities in Kazakhstan.

Themed “Small City, Big Ideas”, Singapore’s Pavilion at the Astana Expo showcases the city-state’s innovations in sustainable energy such as the SolarNova Programme, District Cooling Network at Marina Bay and Nanyang Technological University’s EcoCampus. Singapore is also conducting capacity building workshops at the Expo for policy makers and regulators from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries to promote best practices and encourage greater exchange of knowledge and expertise in new energy solutions.

“Singapore and Kazakhstan have built strong relations and a warm friendship over the years,” said Dr Koh, adding that Kazakhstan is an important partner for Singapore in this region, not just as a significant and growing market, but also as a potential gateway to the Eurasian Economic Union and the rest of the Central Asian region. In turn, Singapore a useful gateway for Kazakh companies interested in exploring opportunities in the South-east Asian region.

Trade relations between both countries are growing, said MTI. In 2016, Kazakhstan was Singapore’s top trading partner among the five Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. Both countries recently concluded negotiations on a Bilateral Investment Treaty which will open up more business and investment opportunities for Singapore and Kazakhstan businesses.

There are about 100 Kazakhstan companies registered in Singapore to date, according to MTI. Among the Singapore companies that have undertaken activities in Kazakhstan are Surbana Jurong and Educare, with the former undertaking several master planning projects in the country.