Vivian Balakrishnan on recognising Palestine as a state and aiding Palestinian officials
Singapore is prepared in principle to recognise a Palestinian state “at an appropriate time”. The key consideration is that such a move should help progress towards peace and a negotiated two-state solution. In particular, there will need to be an effective Palestinian government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically rejects terrorism. Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said this in Parliament on Tuesday (Jul 2) in reply to MPs’ questions. He noted that in May this year, after “very careful consideration”, Singapore voted in favour of a resolution expressing support for Palestine’s membership in the United Nations. This reflected its hope of encouraging Israel and Palestine to resume direct negotiations towards a two-state solution at a time when prospects were increasingly bleak. It was also in line with Singapore’s consistent support for the principles of international law. Dr Balakrishnan urged Israel and Palestine to take steps towards a long-lasting peace and end the suffering “that has gone on for far too long”. As a friend to both sides, Singapore will continue to offer encouragement and tangible support, he said. Singapore will continue to implement its S$10 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package to help the Palestinian Authority build capacity and prepare for eventual statehood. More than 750 officials have been trained so far in areas like diplomacy, water management, economic management and urban planning. A course on transforming the public service through artificial intelligence will be organised for Palestinian officials this month. They can also receive fully funded scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies in Singapore universities. To a question on training Palestinian officials to aid the reconstruction of Gaza, Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore will assess how best to help bilaterally and as part of multilateral efforts.
Singapore is prepared in principle to recognise a Palestinian state “at an appropriate time”. The key consideration is that such a move should help progress towards peace and a negotiated two-state solution. In particular, there will need to be an effective Palestinian government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically rejects terrorism. Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said this in Parliament on Tuesday (Jul 2) in reply to MPs’ questions. He noted that in May this year, after “very careful consideration”, Singapore voted in favour of a resolution expressing support for Palestine’s membership in the United Nations. This reflected its hope of encouraging Israel and Palestine to resume direct negotiations towards a two-state solution at a time when prospects were increasingly bleak. It was also in line with Singapore’s consistent support for the principles of international law. Dr Balakrishnan urged Israel and Palestine to take steps towards a long-lasting peace and end the suffering “that has gone on for far too long”. As a friend to both sides, Singapore will continue to offer encouragement and tangible support, he said. Singapore will continue to implement its S$10 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package to help the Palestinian Authority build capacity and prepare for eventual statehood. More than 750 officials have been trained so far in areas like diplomacy, water management, economic management and urban planning. A course on transforming the public service through artificial intelligence will be organised for Palestinian officials this month. They can also receive fully funded scholarships to pursue postgraduate studies in Singapore universities. To a question on training Palestinian officials to aid the reconstruction of Gaza, Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore will assess how best to help bilaterally and as part of multilateral efforts.
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