Singapore‘s Minister of Trade Relations, Madam Grace Fu, has called for deeper Africa-Southeast Asia linkages, stressing that the two regions should not be seen as separate markets but as complementary engines of growth and development.
Speaking at the Eighth Africa-Singapore Business Forum in Singapore City, themed “Bridging Capabilities, Charting Sustainable Growth”, Madam Fu highlighted the importance of people-to-people exchanges in driving sustainable partnerships. She noted that platforms such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme had welcomed over 14,000 African officials from 54 countries, fostering valuable cultural understanding and professional collaboration.
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She recalled that only last year, officials from 11 African countries took part in a Capacity Building Programme in Trade Negotiations, where negotiators from both regions shared lessons and experiences. Such exchanges, she said, have proven instrumental in building long-term friendships and strengthening institutional knowledge.
Madam Fu further explained that Enterprise Singapore continues to facilitate direct business connections through missions, workshops, and conferences, reinforcing the Africa-Singapore Business Forum’s role as the premier platform for business exchange and trade cooperation between the two regions.
