Leaders of Singapore, Poland call for strengthened partnership
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PM Lawrence Wong with Polish President Andrzej Duda (left), who was on a three-day state visit to Singapore from June 11 to June 13.
PHOTO: MDDI
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SINGAPORE – Amid a more challenging trade and geopolitical environment, Singapore looks forward to strengthening its partnership with Poland and to the two countries working more closely together, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on June 13.
In a Facebook post following his meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, PM Wong said Poland is an important partner for the Republic in central and eastern Europe, and that the two countries have growing trade, investment and people-to-people ties.
“But there is still tremendous potential for us to do more together,” PM Wong said, adding that he and Mr Duda had discussed strengthening cooperation in areas such as port development, food security and logistics.
Mr Duda was on a three-day state visit to Singapore
At a business forum earlier on June 13, Mr Duda said his visit to the Republic reflects Poland’s political will to bring the two countries closer.
“The world has entered a new phase of global economic relations, a time when diversification, resilience and trusted partnerships will define success,” he said to business leaders gathered at Shangri-La Singapore.
“The Poland-Singapore partnership can be part of that new global architecture.”
Potential areas for collaboration include advanced manufacturing, food products, logistics and trade facilitation, said Mr Duda.
He also called for “digital bridges” to be built between both sides in areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI), e-commerce and blockchain, and for closer cooperation in defence and dual-use technologies.
This sentiment was mirrored by Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, who also spoke at the forum, which was jointly organised by Poland’s embassy in Singapore, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, and the Singapore Business Federation.
“As we face a volatile trade and geopolitical environment, it is especially important for like-minded partners such as Singapore and Poland to exchange perspectives and create opportunities for mutual growth,” said Ms Fu.
She suggested two ways in which countries can achieve economic success despite these turbulent times.
The first was to build a robust architecture of economic agreements, which would further strengthen the global rules-based trading system, and give businesses greater clarity and certainty.
She cited the signing of the European Union-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement
She also welcomed the Polish government’s ongoing efforts to ratify the EU-Singapore Investment Protection Agreement, which will give companies greater certainty on the treatment of their investments and offer them more robust investment protections when it comes into force.
Second, countries should leverage complementary strengths and needs to build new partnerships.
For instance, Poland is known for its strong agriculture and food processing sector, and the Singapore Food Agency’s approval for the country to be a source of frozen poultry earlier in 2025 presents new opportunities for Polish exporters and Singaporean importers, noted Ms Fu.
On the digital front, Poland has a large fintech and e-commerce sector looking to incorporate technology such as AI, analytics and integrated payments, and Singapore’s robust digital infrastructure and innovativeness means its companies are well placed to provide such solutions, she added.
Poland is Singapore’s 13th largest trading partner in the European Union.
Since the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2019, trade in goods between the two countries has grown by 50 per cent, reaching a high of nearly $1.7 billion in 2024. Trade in services has likewise increased by 50 per cent, reaching nearly $700 million in 2023.
Ms Fu noted that there are currently 170 Polish companies operating in Singapore, including technology companies such as Lingaro, CShark and RTB House that have their regional offices here.
“I look forward to welcoming more Polish businesses to tap our networks and capabilities to seize opportunities in Singapore and the region,” she said.
“Amidst a more turbulent global environment, Singapore remains a reliable partner for companies looking to diversify and strengthen their resilience.”
