Indonesia 'up there' on list of S'pore priorities: Vivian

He says it’s key for Republic to enhance ties with neighbours in unsettled world

- Hariz Baharudin

The world is in an unsettled state, making it all the more important for Singapore to double down on relationships with its immediate neighbours, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Indonesia is "up there" on the list of priorities for Singapore, and work will continue to increase collaboration and deepen ties between the two countries, said Dr Balakrishnan on April 26.

Speaking to Singapore media at the close of a four-day visit to Jakarta, he noted how conflicts in Europe and the Middle East are not showing signs of quick resolution, and are causing division among countries.

"So the world is in an unsettled state. But given that, it's all the more important to double down on our relationships with our immediate neighbours and within Asean," he said.

He added: "These vital relationships put Indonesia up there in the list of top priorities." A highlight of the relationship between Singapore and Indonesia is the implementation of the three landmark pacts between the two countries, which officially came into force in March, he said.

These pacts signed in January 2022 are the 2022 Agreement on the Realignment of the Boundary between the Jakarta Flight Information Region and the Singapore Flight Information Region; the 2022 Treaty for the Extradition of Fugitives; and the 2007 Defence Cooperation Agreement.

Their implementation has been hailed as a milestone in the relations between Singapore and Indonesia.