Singapore (VNA) - Singapore and France have upgraded their Strategic Partnership signed in 2012 to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), marking Singapore's first CSP with a European country.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the exchange of 13 agreements at a ceremony in Singapore's Parliament House on May 30 - the second day of a state visit by the French leader.
At a joint press conference following the exchange, the two leaders announced that France and Singapore would expand cooperation in areas such as civil nuclear energy, intelligence sharing and defence technology, artificial intelligence (AI) research, security, and deeper collaboration in the air and maritime domains under the newly established bilateral partnership framework.
PM Wong said that in an uncertain world, it is vital for like-minded countries such as France and Singapore to work together, particularly as both sides expand collaboration in new areas such as decarbonisation and digitalisation.
In response, President Macron affirmed that France and Singapore share many common perspectives, and the CSP reflects the deep trust between the two nations. He expressed his hope that the two sides would cooperate even more effectively in the business sector.
Macron arrived in Singapore on May 29 and delivered a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30./.
