NEW ZEALAND

Year of establishment of diplomatic relations: 1965

Recent Bilateral Highlights

• Foreign Minister George Yeo met New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully on 22 April 2009 during Minister McCully’s visit to Singapore to attend the New Zealand Business Forum. While in Singapore, Minister McCully also met with the Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen.
• New Zealand Defence Minister Dr Wayne Mapp made an introductory visit to Singapore from 27 to 29 May 2009 in conjunction with the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue.
• Foreign Minister George Yeo met the New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully on the sidelines of the 64th UN General Assembly on 24 September 2009.
• New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Trade Minister Tim Groser visited Singapore in November 2009 to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

Bilateral Relations

Singapore and New Zealand enjoy close ties. The longstanding and historical relationship has become more broad-based in recent years. Cooperation in the defence, political, economic, as well as the arts and education fields has progressed steadily and both countries work closely in regional and international forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, ASEAN Regional Forum, United Nations and World Trade Organisation.

Defence relations continue to be substantive, marked by close defence cooperation on various fronts. Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops were deployed as part of the New Zealand battalion in East Timor from May 2001 to November 2002. Two SAF officers were deployed as part of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) HQ in Bamiyan from November 2007 to May 2008. The SAF also rotated two Engineer Project Teams (EPT) between May to October 2008 and deployed a two-man team to Bamiyan from 17 October 2008 to 17 May 2009.

On the economic front, the Agreement between New Zealand and Singapore on a Closer Economic Partnership (ANZSCEP) was signed in Singapore by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and then-New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark in November 2000. The ANZSCEP, which was the first bilateral FTA for Singapore and the second for New Zealand, came into effect on 1 January 2001. The ANZSCEP is a milestone in bilateral relations and sets the foundation for even closer collaboration on both sides for mutual benefit. Singapore and New Zealand have held two Ministerial-level reviews of the ANZSCEP since the agreement came into force in 2001. New Zealand has profiled the New Zealand-Singapore Audio-Visual Co-production Agreement and an MOU between IE Singapore and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) on overseas collaboration signed at the 2nd ANZSCEP Ministerial Review as a direct benefit of the ANZSCEP.

Singapore and New Zealand are also members of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (”Trans-Pacific SEP”) which was signed by the Ministers of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore in June 2005. An ambitious and high-standard FTA, the Trans-Pacific SEP (now known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP) came into force on 8 November 2006, and serves to complement the WTO and hasten progress towards global trade liberalisation. Moving ahead, the plan is to expand the agreement with the addition of four new members – the US, Australia, Peru and Vietnam – to establish a ‘P8’ TPP agreement. The TPP is envisioned to continue to expand in stages, towards wider economic integration amongst APEC economies and a possible Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

Singapore and New Zealand signed a revised Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (DTA) in August 2009. The agreement incorporates a new internationally agreed standard for exchange of information on tax matters. The DTA is expected to minimise double taxation of income that may occur as a result of cross-border economic activities between both countries. In doing so, it aims to better facilitate bilateral trade and investment.

From the Press Room

• Signing of Third Protocol to the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between Singapore and New Zealand on 5 September 2005

• Speech by President S R Nathan, at State Banquet held in honour of Dame Silva Cartwright, Governor-General of New Zealand, on 29 June 2005

• Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the official luncheon hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark on 19 June 2006, 12.30pm at Parliament House, Wellington
• Speech by President S R Nathan at the State Banquet hosted by the Governor-General of New Zealand the Hon Anand Satyanand on 28 April 2008, 7.30pm, Wellington
• Press Statement on Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo and the New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs Murray McCully on 22 April 2009

THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

Recent Bilateral Highlights

• Tuvalu Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia made a working visit to Singapore from 20 to 24 June 2009. During his visit, Prime Minister Ielemia called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
• Timor-Leste Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Zacarias Albano da Costa made his first official visit to Singapore from 10 to 13 October 2009. During his visit, Minister da Costa called separately on President S R Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi. Minister da Costa was also hosted to lunch by Foreign Minister George Yeo as well as Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Balaji Sadasivan.
• Foreign Minister George Yeo met with Papua New Guinea Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Samuel Abal on the sidelines of the APEC Ministerial Meetings in Singapore on 11 November 2009.
• High Commissioner of Tonga Crown Prince Tupouto'a-Lavaka presented his credentials to President S R Nathan on 19 November 2009. Crown Prince Tupouto'a-Lavaka, Tonga's first High Commissioner to Singapore, is concurrently accredited from Canberra.
• Timor-Leste President Dr José Ramos-Horta visited Singapore from 15 to 19 December 2009 at the invitation of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies to deliver a lecture entitled "The Obama Promise, Opportunities and Challenges in Asia" on 17 December 2009. While in Singapore, President Ramos-Horta was hosted to lunch by President S R Nathan on 18 December 2009 as well as Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed on 17 December 2009.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Civil Aviation of Fiji Ratu Inoke Kubuabola made a working visit to Singapore from 26 to 28 January 2010. During his visit, Minister Kubuabola made a courtesy call on Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed on 28 January 2010.

Bilateral Relations

Bilateral relations between Singapore and the Pacific Island countries are warm and friendly, underpinned by strong political goodwill. Singapore has established diplomatic relations with Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Timor-Leste. Singapore has representation in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste through Non-Resident Ambassadors, while our High Commissioner in Wellington is accredited to Fiji.

Our top trading partners in the South Pacific are Fiji, the Marshall Islands and Papua New Guinea. Besides trade and investments, cooperation with the Pacific Islands also takes place under the auspices of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP). The SCP provides technical assistance which focuses on training and enhancing the skills of participants in various fields such as civil aviation, port management and civil service matters. As of January 2010, 3,165 officials from the Pacific Island countries received training in Singapore under the SCP.

From the Press Room

• Signing of the Agreement between Singapore and Fiji for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income

• Press Statement: Working visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the Honourable Kaliopate Tavola, 19-21 December 2005

• Remarks by Mr Raymond Lim, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Finance for the Signing Ceremony of The Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between Singapore and Fiji on 20 December 2005

• Remarks by Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the Honourable Kaliopate Tavola, at the Signing Ceremony of the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) between Singapore and Fiji on 20 December 2005

• Press Statement on Official Visit to Singapore by Timor-Leste Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Zacarias Albano da Costa from 10 to 13 October 2009
• Press Statement on Foreign Minister George Yeo's Bilateral Meeting with Papua New Guinea Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Samuel Abal on the sidelines of the APEC Ministerial Meetings in Singapore on 11 November 2009