Russia, S'pore move towards closer ties with new governmental body
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 November 2009 0037 hrs

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SINGAPORE : Russia and Singapore have taken a further step towards stronger ties, with the establishment of a high-level governmental commission.

This was announced by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is on a state visit to Singapore.

The visit by Mr Medvedev is the first by a Russian head of state, and it caps a weekend of international meetings at the APEC Summit in Singapore.

He was received by President S R Nathan at the Istana.

Ties between Russia and Singapore are developing rapidly, and the warmth was evident when Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew met the visiting leader.

Both men had met in Moscow in September. And in recognition of Mr Lee's contributions to bilateral ties, he was conferred Russia's Order of Friendship medal by Mr Medvedev.

Trade between the two countries has more than tripled since 2000, and the number of Russian nationals here has also grown, from just a few hundred six years ago to about 3,000 now.

In a recent interview with Russian media, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called Mr Medvedev's visit a significant milestone in relations, and he welcomed greater Russian engagement in this part of the world.

This view was echoed by both Mr Medvedev and President Nathan at the state dinner later.

Mr Nathan said: "As our business links grow, we can look to leveraging on each other's strengths to find opportunities in third country markets. Singapore can be Russia's gateway to Asia, for we have experience and networks in the economies of China, India and Southeast Asia."

The new Inter-Governmental Commission is expected to bring Moscow closer to Singapore.

Speaking at the dinner in Russian, Mr Medvedev said the commission "is the first stage of our cooperation. I believe that in the nearest future, the commission will give a new momentum to further strengthening of ties in many areas, including the sphere of long-term investment and financial projects and technology-sharing."

The commission will explore cooperation in a variety of areas, such as economics, science and technology, as well as political, cultural and educational links. - CNA/ms