Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the Metropolitan of Singapore and South Asia, Konstantinos, as well as representatives of the Greek community, in the context of his visit to the country.
The meeting, which lasted approximately thirty minutes, took place in a particularly warm and constructive atmosphere. During the discussion, issues concerning the presence and activity of the Greek communities in Singapore and throughout South Asia were examined, as well as matters relating to the work of Orthodox ecclesiastical communities and charitable institutions maintained by the Holy Metropolis in the wider region.
The Metropolitan informed the Prime Minister about the spiritual and social contribution of the Orthodox Church in Asia and emphasized the importance of supporting the Greek element in the diaspora. Special reference was made to the need to highlight the Holy Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Calcutta, India, a historic monument of the Greek presence in the area, as well as the Greek cemetery of the same city, where Greeks have been laid to rest since the mid-18th century.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis also met earlier in the morning with his counterpart from Singapore, Lawrence Wong, and was received by the President of the Republic, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, at the Istana government complex in Singapore.
During the meeting with Mr. Wong, major prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation were discussed across a wide range of sectors, such as tourism, shipping, defense, and Greek exports, including agri-food products, while broader investment opportunities in Greece were also discussed.
The two Prime Ministers also discussed cooperation and the exchange of expertise in matters of digital governance and the application of artificial intelligence in public administration.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the continuation and consolidation of reforms, and particularly emphasized Greece’s dual role as an energy hub for the wider region of Southeastern Europe and as a provider of energy security in Central and Eastern Europe. In this context, the Prime Minister referred to the recent agreement for the supply of Ukraine with American LNG during the visit of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Athens.
The two leaders also discussed shared positions of the two countries, such as commitment to the implementation of international law and the law of the sea, the multilateral international system, and free trade.
The Prime Minister expressed his support for strengthening EU–Singapore relations, which, as a member of ASEAN, plays an important role in the rapidly developing region of Southeast Asia.
At the beginning of their meeting, the Prime Minister and his counterpart from Singapore had the following exchange:
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: “It is a real pleasure to be here. It has been a long time since the last visit of a Greek Prime Minister to Singapore. We are both maritime nations, and two countries that are very interested in maintaining a rules-based international order. For us, it is very interesting to explain to the Asian audience what has happened in Greece in recent years. We have begun to attract investments from Singapore as well. We would certainly like to see these investment flows continue and strengthen. Therefore, it is a great opportunity for me to be here.”
Lawrence Wong: “And the economy is performing well under your leadership; we see that it continues to take off. We also see many new opportunities in Greece, as well as in Europe, due to the free trade agreement and the various agreements between the EU and Singapore that are already in place. Through these we want to strengthen our economic relations.”
The Prime Minister was subsequently received by the President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, with whom views were exchanged on matters of mutual interest.
