Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time on 16 Jan at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The meeting was held in Davos, Switzerland from 15 to 19 Jan 2024.
In a post on X by Mr Zelenskyy, the pair was pictured shaking hands.
The Ukrainian President also shared his anticipation for forging harmonious relations with Singapore and its neighbouring countries.
In his post on Tuesday (16 Jan), Mr Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for the humanitarian aid Singapore extended during the Ukraine crisis.
In 2023, Singapore sent 22 ambulances to Ukraine, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a press statement about Singapore’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The Singapore Red Cross Society (SRCS) also extended targeted aid to vulnerable groups in the region. In a press release about Singapore’s humanitarian aid towards Ukraine, Kateryna Zelenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Singapore, thanked SRCS for its consistent and generous donations to Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital.
Source: SRCS
In his post on X, Zelenskyy also shared that the pair engaged in talks about joint efforts in the future, such as in the areas of cybersecurity and agriculture.
Notably, Zelenskyy raised “Ukraine’s successful defence of free navigation in the Black Sea”, which ensures that Ukraine continues to champion food security.
Food security is a pressing concern in Singapore, given its limited land resources and dependence on food imports.
These collaborative ventures thus seek to foster diplomatic and economic ties, promoting mutual benefits between Singapore and Ukraine.
Discussions aside, Zelenskyy expressed his appreciation for Singapore’s “support for sanctions and UN resolutions”. UN resolutions provide a framework for global consensus and legitimacy in addressing the ongoing crisis.
Zelenskyy also welcomed Singapore to participate in the upcoming Peace Formula and the Global Peace Summit.
Similarly, these peace plans contribute towards fostering a more stable and secure environment for Ukraine. They aim to rebuild Ukraine’s territorial integrity and spur withdrawal of Russian troops, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
Also read: We Explain The ‘Hug’ Between Ukraine & S’pore, And Analyse If We’re Still ‘Friends’ With Russia
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Featured image adapted from @ZelenskyyUa on X.
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