Australian PM Anthony Albanese in Singapore from April 9 to 11, will visit Jurong Island
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) will visit the Singapore LNG Terminal and Singapore Refining Company on Jurong Island.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
SINGAPORE - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in town from April 9 to 11 for an official visit, which includes a stop at Singapore’s oil and energy facilities on Jurong Island.
The Australian leader will be hosted to lunch by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on April 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on April 9.
On Jurong Island, Mr Albanese will visit the Singapore LNG Terminal and Singapore Refining Company.
The visit comes after both countries pledged in March to work together to ensure that key goods such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum oils, including diesel, continue to flow between the two countries.
In a joint statement issued after a phone call, the leaders of both countries expressed “deep concern over the situation in the Middle East and its consequences for our region, such as the impact on energy supply chains and prices”.
The countries said they would accelerate negotiations on an arrangement for trade in essential supplies, in line with the upgrading of Singapore-Australia ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership 2.0 (CSP 2.0), inked in October 2025.
The two countries also said they would explore options for a legally binding commitment in the future, involving bilateral arrangements such as consultation and early notification in case of potential disruptions.
Mr Albanese’s visit reaffirms the “excellent state of bilateral relations” between the two countries, underpinned by the CSP 2.0, MFA said on April 9.
It is also the latest in a series of high-level exchanges between the countries.
At the end of March, Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng travelled to Canberra to discuss supply chain resilience and renewable energy collaboration with his Australian counterpart. PM Wong also visited Australia in October to ink the upgraded CSP 2.0.
Energy accounts for a significant proportion of trade between Australia and Singapore.
PM Wong had said earlier in April that Singapore will deepen cooperation with Australia as a key supplier of LNG, with the country accounting for more than one-third of the Republic’s supply.
Singapore is also a key source of oil for Australia.
Australian government statistics for 2025 showed that Singapore is Australia’s largest supplier of refined petroleum products, accounting for 26 per cent of refined fuel imports, 55 per cent of petrol imports, 22 per cent of aviation and turbine fuel imports, and 16 per cent of diesel imports.
PM Wong also said Singapore has begun taking active steps to strengthen its energy and supply chain resilience.
The country’s refineries and chemical companies have scaled back production, diversified their sourcing of crude oil and feedstock beyond the Middle East, and LNG importers have been securing alternative LNG supplies.
On April 7, Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam announced Singapore’s intention to increase its fuel reserves, saying in a ministerial statement in Parliament: “It will be costly, but we think it necessary.”
The Republic has not had to draw on its fuel reserves – comprising a mix of natural gas and diesel – or implement fuel rationing measures yet, noted Mr Shanmugam.
But if supply disruptions increase, and if more suppliers are unable to provide fuel or gas, then potential disruptions to domestic energy and electricity supply cannot be ruled out, he said.
