Commonwealth one way to boost ties with other nations: PM Wong

At a time when countries are pulling apart, groupings like the Commonwealth are one way for Singapore to strengthen its links with other nations, add value and maintain its relevance.

- Goh Yan Han

This is why Singapore continues to see the value in participating actively not just with the Commonwealth as a group, but also individually with the other 55 member states that make up the association, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Oct 26.

Such links are important for Singapore given how open and vulnerable it is, which is why the Republic is keen to make more friends and find new ways of working together, PM Wong told reporters at the conclusion of his visit to Samoa.

"In this new global environment, which can become more inhospitable for countries like us, open economies like us, I think we want to redouble our efforts, to strengthen our links with countries everywhere," he said.

He acknowledged the grouping's uniqueness, consisting as it does of 56 member states across six continents, each at a different stage of development. In comparison, groupings like Asean are defined geographically, while the United Nations covers all the countries in the world.

The Commonwealth is somewhere in between on this spectrum.