SINGAPORE - Singapore and Israel will deepen their cooperation in emerging areas such as digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), the two sides have announced.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Israel on Monday (March 21), where he had meetings with Israel's Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Orit Farkash-Hacohen.
In his meetings, Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed the longstanding ties between Singapore and Israel in multiple fields, and welcomed the strengthening of cooperation in these areas, as well as in trade and investment and education.
Dr Balakrishnan and Ms Farkash-Hacohen signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in AI development.
Under the agreement, Singapore's Smart Nation and Digital Government Office and Israel's Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology will work together to accelerate cross-border collaborations in AI, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Monday.
This will support the development and deployment of AI for collective benefit, MFA added.
Singapore will also establish an embassy in Tel Aviv to strengthen the innovation partnership between the two countries.
The embassy will serve as a focal point to support Singapore companies seeking to grow their collaboration with potential Israeli partners, added MFA.
At his meeting with Mr Lapid, Dr Balakrishnan had an open discussion on regional and international developments.
"Singapore has a longstanding and principled support for a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, in order to achieve a durable, just and comprehensive solution," said MFA.
"Singapore hopes that both the Israeli and Palestinian sides would find ways to engage in direct negotiations on the basis of a two-state solution."
All parties should refrain from any unilateral actions that could increase tensions and undermine the prospects for peace, MFA added.
Monday's meetings come a day after Dr Balakrishnan met Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki, and conveyed Singapore's intention to establish a representative office to the PA in Ramallah to coordinate the Republic's technical assistance and support the work of its representative to the PA.
Singapore and Israel have growing business ties. Among Middle East countries, Israel is the Republic's fourth largest trading partner and foreign investor.
The two countries also share longstanding research links. The Singapore-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It has funded about 190 projects since its inception in 1997 and has disbursed about US$120 million (S$163 million) to projects between Singapore and Israel.
