Singapore to open embassy in Mexico next year

SINGAPORE: Singapore will open an embassy in Mexico in 2026 in view of "deepening ties" between the two countries, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday (Dec 1).

"This is a significant milestone, as it will be Singapore's first embassy in the Spanish-speaking world, and only our second in Latin America," said Mr Tharman, who announced the move during his first state visit to Mexico. He will be there until Wednesday. 

"Our decision reflects Singapore's confidence in Mexico’s future, and will allow us to engage with Mexico's leaders, officials and the business and cultural community more actively and deeply," Mr Tharman added.

Mr Tharman was speaking at a joint press conference with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum following a meeting between the two leaders in Mexico City.

Ms Sheinbaum said that the embassy would be the 87th in Mexico and reflected the growing international interest in the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that the embassy will seek to strengthen bilateral economic and people-to-people links between Singapore and Mexico, and enhance consular support for Singaporeans in Mexico.

Singapore established its first embassy in Latin America in Brazil in 2012.

Mr Tharman's four-day state visit, which began on Sunday, comes as Singapore and Mexico commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations.

During their meeting, Mr Tharman and Ms Sheinbaum "affirmed the warm and friendly relations" between the two countries, said MFA in its statement.

Mr Tharman also welcomed Ms Sheinbaum's commitment for Mexico to ratify the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement signed on Jan 26, 2022, added MFA.

The agreement will "further enhance trade and productive investment for both countries, and help strengthen inter-regional connectivity between Southeast Asia and Latin America", said the ministry.

Additionally, Ms Sheinbaum welcomed Singaporean companies' interest in investing in Mexico in a wide variety of sectors covered in Plan Mexico, her national development plan for investments in the country. The sectors include technology, innovation, ports, as well as oil and gas, according to a joint statement issued by the governments of Singapore and Mexico.

Both presidents also witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding on coral reef restoration and on international development cooperation, and noted the growing opportunities for collaboration in other areas of mutual interest.

Mr Tharman has also extended an invitation for Ms Sheinbaum to make a state visit to Singapore.