The Federation Council Deputy Speaker and the Ambassador of Singapore have discussed prospects for invigorating bilateral dialogue, including the parliamentary dimension.
Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Singapore to Russia Neo Ek Beng Mark.
The officials discussed current international issues and bilateral relations.
Konstantin Kosachev noted that bilateral ties had been mostly frozen after February 2022, including on account of Singapore joining the West’s anti-Russia sanctions. “This has caused sincere regret and disappointment in this country.”
At the same time, he said, both countries had cooperated in a constructive manner before 2022. As of today, Singapore, of all the ASEAN countries, accounts for the highest trade turnover with Russia.
“The variability of assessments as to the causes, essence, and prospects for conflict settlement in Ukraine, even within the collective West, is on the upturn. The current situation enables Singapore to reassess and relaunch bilateral dialogue,” he said.
MPs are ready to be of help in this, Konstantin Kosachev stressed. “From our point of view, we can start by unfreezing inter-parliamentary contacts and resuming operations of friendship groups,” he believes. The Federation Council’s group of friendship with the Parliament of Singapore is headed by Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin.
Neo Ek Beng Mark noted that Singapore regarded Russia as an influential world power and an important country to cooperate with. It is also essential to collaborate with Russia within the framework of ASEAN.
He supported the idea to resume inter-parliamentary contacts. “Russian MPs will be warmly welcomed in Singapore. We can also consider the possibility of Singaporean parliamentarians paying a visit to Moscow,” Neo Ek Beng Mark said.