Singapore held an early national day celebration at the Astana Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan. Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Dr Koh Poh Koon and Kazakh Vice Minister of Investments and Development, Yerlen Khairov graced the event today. More than 350 guests and Expo visitors attended the flag raising ceremony and cultural performance which told the story of Singapore’s history and transformation.
Dr Koh said, “Singapore congratulates Kazakhstan on a successful Astana Expo. Singapore’s participation at the Expo has provided an excellent opportunity to showcase our expertise and innovations in sustainable energy. The Expo also highlights the openness of Kazakhstan to engage and open its doors to the world. I encourage Singapore companies to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Kazakhstan’s growth and venture boldly into the Central Asian market.”
Singapore and Kazakhstan share strong bilateral and economic ties. Trade relations between both countries are growing. In 2016, Kazakhstan was Singapore’s top trading partner among the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan). Both countries recently concluded negotiations on a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) which will open up more business and investment opportunities for Singapore and Kazakhstan businesses.
Singapore’s participation at the Astana Expo 2017 further cements this relationship. Themes “Small City, Big Ideas”, Singapore’s Pavilion showcases the innovations in sustainable energy such as SolarNova Programme, District Cooling Network at Marina Bay and NTU’s EcoCampus. Singapore is also conducting capacity building workshops at the Expo for policy makers and regulators from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries to promote best practices and encourage a greater exchange of knowledge and expertise in new energy solutions.