Singapore to open embassy in Mexico City in 2026 as part of deepening ties

MEXICO CITY - Singapore will open an embassy in Mexico City in 2026, reflecting deeper ties between both countries.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced this on Dec 2 during

his first state visit

to Mexico and also Latin America.

“Our decision reflects Singapore’s confidence in Mexico’s future and will allow us to engage with Mexico’s leaders, officials and the business and cultural community more actively and deeply,” said Mr Tharman, in remarks to the media alongside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace located in the Mexican capital.

The Mexican mission will be Singapore’s first embassy in the Spanish-speaking world and second in Latin America, after opening one in Brazil in 2012.

This follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement in November of a

new embassy in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa

by 2027, after he said in April that Singapore will open new diplomatic missions in Africa and Latin America over the next few years.

Both Mr Tharman and Ms Sheinbaum gave their remarks after witnessing the signing of two memorandums of understanding.

The first on international development cooperation will allow both countries to promote economic and social development in developing countries using complementary financial, technical and human resources.

The second agreement covers cooperation in coral reef restoration and a sustainable blue economy. A sustainable blue economy uses ocean resources for economic development while ensuring the health of the marine ecosystem.

Both countries’ shared commitment to a better future is the cornerstone of the deepening relationship, said Mr Tharman, who highlighted the growing economic and cultural ties in his remarks.

The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations is the launch pad for a new era in both countries’ relationship, one of greater depth and breadth, he added. Singapore first established diplomatic ties with Mexico in December 1975.

Citing a Spanish saying “donde hay amistad, no hay distancia” – where there is friendship there is no distance – Mr Tharman said it captures the spirit of the partnership between both countries.

The state visit occurs amid global change and uncertainty, with a weakening rules-based international order and shifting supply chains.

Against this backdrop, Singapore and Mexico’s relations take on a new significance, said Mr Tharman.

“It is precisely in times like this that we must build resilience and grow new opportunities by diversifying our economic networks, in particular by investing in trusted bilateral partnerships and forming new international coalitions of ambition, and by refreshing the multilateral frameworks that we all rely on,” he added.

Speaking in Spanish, Ms Sheinbaum said that she received with enthusiasm the news of Singapore’s new resident embassy in Mexico City.

With that, Mexico will have 87 resident embassies, a reflection of growing interest in Mexico, she said.

It is uncommon for Singapore to open new overseas missions – the most recent embassies were established in Timor-Leste in 2024, Israel in 2022 and Oman in 2013.

Singapore appointed its first non-resident ambassador to Mexico in 1997, and the current non-resident ambassador Balendran Singham was appointed in October 2022. It also has an honorary consulate in Mexico City.

An embassy is the country’s main diplomatic mission, typically located in the capital. Singapore has several non-resident ambassadors who represent the country in countries with no resident embassy. They are appointed by the Government, and have varied backgrounds including the private sector and academia.

Mr Tharman also pointed out the similarities between both countries – Singapore and Mexico are both open economies and each serve as gateways to broader regions: Mexico to North America and the broader Americas; Singapore to South-east Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific.

Both economies are also highly complementary, he noted. Singapore brings capital and digital innovation and logistics capabilities that can support Mexico’s efforts to build higher value industries while Mexico brings scale, manufacturing capacity, talent, and proximity to the world’s largest consumer market - the United States.

He cited agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the

Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (PASFTA)

as efforts by both sides to uphold high-standard, rules-based trade.

Both countries were among the first to join the CPTPP in 2018 while the PASFTA, which links Singapore to the four-member Latin American trade bloc, was

signed in 2022

.

Apart from lowering barriers and improving predictability for businesses and investors, they also bring a strategic advantage in an uncertain world by providing new options for growth and business expansion, said Mr Tharman.

He thanked Ms Sheinbaum for her “personal attention” to Mexico’s ratification of the PASFTA. Singapore, Peru and Chile have done so while Mexico and Columbia are working on it.

When all countries have ratified the trade pact, Singapore will become an associated state of the Pacific Alliance. This can be a stepping stone for more connectivity between South-east Asia and Latin America, said Mr Tharman.

Singapore also sees Mexico as a natural partner in innovation and the capabilities of the future, he said, citing its capabilities in the agrifood, aerospace, automotive, electronics and medical devices sectors.

Economic ties between both countries are already growing. Mr Tharman highlighted that in 2024, bilateral trade grew by over 60 per cent from the previous year and Singapore’s investments in Mexico currently exceed US$2 billion.

On the cultural front, both countries have also collaborated. As part of Mr Tharman’s trip, he will inaugurate a new exhibition that features items from Singapore’s National Collection.

“This exhibition also points to the creative potential of links between Asia and Latin America, that Mexico has for generations been in the forefront of,” he said.

Mr Tharman also highlighted Mexico’s hosting of the World Cup in 2026. It will be cohosting the matches with the United States and Canada – the first time three countries have made a joint bid. Mexico will be the first nation to host the football tournament for three times.

“We have all admired Mexican football greats such as the legendary Hugo Sanchez and Chicharito,” he added, citing a tenacity which he also sees in the people of Mexico.

Ms Sheinbaum said there are new areas of collaboration to strengthen bilateral trade and investment, and she was pleased to hear that the Singapore business delegation was interested in opportunities in infrastructure, ports, logistics and digital transformation.

Singapore is currently the fifth-largest Asia-Pacific investor in Mexico, she added.

Mexico finds in Singapore a partner and ally in international cooperation, she said. With the agreements reached today, both countries take firm steps towards a renewed and future-orientated strategic partnership that will benefit both countries’ people.

Earlier in the day, Mr Tharman laid a wreath at the Monument to the Heroic Cadets, a national monument that honours six teenage military cadets killed in a 1847 battle.

He was also accorded a state welcome at the National Palace and had a delegation meeting with business representatives.

His visit concludes on Dec 3.