SINGAPORE - France and Singapore will step up cooperation in areas such as smart transport, smart cities, financial innovation and agri-food technologies, under a new pact signed on Monday (March 14).

The France-Singapore Digital and Green Partnership will see both countries developing a workplan comprising cooperative projects with clear and tangible outcomes in the digital and green sectors.

The partnership was signed at a virtual ceremony by Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran and French Trade Minister Franck Riester.

Mr Iswaran said the partnership is part of Singapore's larger strategy to build a network of international partnerships that enable its companies - especially small and medium-sized enterprises - to seize growth opportunities in digital and green economies.

He added that it is also the latest in a series of initiatives to continuously update and strengthen the robust economic partnership between France and Singapore, which have always placed innovation at the heart of their national strategies for growth and prosperity.

In a joint statement on Monday, Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Communications and Information, and Infocomm Media Development Authority said: "The intent is to support public-private partnerships and private sector-led approaches that harness digital and green technologies to enhance the competitiveness of our economies and create good jobs for our people in a sustainable manner."

Both countries will also establish a joint working group to oversee the partnership's implementation.

This provides a structured platform for the two countries to work together towards a shared vision of higher competitiveness and innovativeness in both economies, and to create more good jobs, Mr Iswaran wrote on Facebook.

"This partnership will also complement discussions at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels, including ongoing efforts with the (European Union) to develop the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership," he said.