Login
iscover
The two nations have signed a new memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of ASEAN talks in Melbourne.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Singaporean counterpart, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) cementing plans for a green and digital shipping corridor between the two nations.
The MOU aims to “accelerate maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation” and will engage the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) alongside Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, which will work with state and territorial governments on its implementation.
According to a joint statement from the two leaders, the MPA is already working with the CSIRO and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research on research and development projects under the Australia-Singapore Initiative on Low Emissions Technologies for Maritime and Port Operations, which will feed into the green and digital shipping corridor.
“This agreement will help smooth the way to decarbonise our port and shipping industries and to bring their operations into the digital age,” Prime Minister Albanese told a press conference.
“Prime Minister Lee and I have also today agreed to a set of principles for cross-border electricity trade. These principles bring closer the goal of a renewable energy trade between our countries, bringing opportunities for workers and investors alike.”
Prime Minister Lee also looked ahead to the future, particularly in light of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between the two countries in 2025.
“There is still much more that our two countries can and should do together. After all, we are natural partners with complementary economies and compatible worldviews and strategic perspectives on the region and on international affairs,” Prime Minister Lee said.
“The Prime Minister and I, therefore, agreed that we should identify new strategic and forward-looking areas of cooperation for the next edition of the CSP. For example, renewable energy, supply chain resilience, artificial intelligence and air connectivity – areas which will fit in well with Singapore’s and Australia’s priorities.”
The two leaders also talked about the importance of “responsible state behaviour in cyber space”, agreeing that cyber and other critical technologies would be a key part of the CSP in the future.
