Singapore’s foreign minister has praised Poland’s democracy and economy following talks on Monday in Singapore with his opposite number from Warsaw, Radosław Sikorski.
Sikorski started a four-day diplomatic trip to southeast Asia on Monday by meeting Balakrishnan. After the head-to-head, Balakrishnan took to social media to sing Poland’s praises.
“Poland's journey as a nation is remarkable, marked by resilience through centuries of adversity,” he wrote on Instagram. “Today, Poland stands as a vibrant democracy with a thriving economy—a testament to their indomitable spirit.”
He continued by saying that Poland and Singapore were celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations, adding the two heads of diplomacy had “reaffirmed the warm relations between our countries and discussed regional and global developments.”
He said the cornerstone of bilateral economic cooperation was the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which provided opportunities for growth in bilateral trade and investments.
Also on Monday, Sikorski met Singapore’s senior minister and coordinating minister for national security, Teo Chee Hean, and delivered a lecture at global defense and security think-tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Sikorski’s talk at the IISS centered on the imperialistic nature of Russia’s war against Ukraine and was titled ‘Europe: Confronting 21st Century Imperialism.’
He said the successes of countries including Poland and Singapore would not have been possible without an international rules-based order.
"It may be flawed and outdated, but the answer to these weaknesses is reform, not war," he said, going on to argue that multilateralism is the only realistic and just alternative for the global community.
After Singapore, Sikorski will visit Malaysia and the Philippines.
“Poland's journey as a nation is remarkable, marked by resilience through centuries of adversity,” he wrote on Instagram. “Today, Poland stands as a vibrant democracy with a thriving economy—a testament to their indomitable spirit.”
He continued by saying that Poland and Singapore were celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations, adding the two heads of diplomacy had “reaffirmed the warm relations between our countries and discussed regional and global developments.”
He said the cornerstone of bilateral economic cooperation was the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which provided opportunities for growth in bilateral trade and investments.
Global diplomacy
Also on Monday, Sikorski met Singapore’s senior minister and coordinating minister for national security, Teo Chee Hean, and delivered a lecture at global defense and security think-tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Sikorski’s talk at the IISS centered on the imperialistic nature of Russia’s war against Ukraine and was titled ‘Europe: Confronting 21st Century Imperialism.’
He said the successes of countries including Poland and Singapore would not have been possible without an international rules-based order.
"It may be flawed and outdated, but the answer to these weaknesses is reform, not war," he said, going on to argue that multilateralism is the only realistic and just alternative for the global community.
After Singapore, Sikorski will visit Malaysia and the Philippines.
More In Politics MORE...
