PM Wong meets leaders from Egypt, Vietnam at G-20

RIO DE JANEIRO – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met leaders from Egypt and Vietnam on the final day of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In social media posts, he spoke of the close links and strong ties Singapore has with these countries.

Egypt and Singapore share an interest in promoting inter-faith harmony, he said of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

He also noted that many of Singapore’s asatizah (religious teachers) are graduates of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, adding: “We also appreciate Al-Alzhar’s support as we develop our Singapore College of Islamic Studies.”

The new college is slated to open in 2028 with an initial intake of up to 60 students, and aims to teach religious knowledge through the perspective of Singapore’s multiracial, multi-religious society. Leaders from Al-Azhar and other established institutions will be on its advisory panel.

In his post, PM Wong also thanked President al-Sisi for facilitating Singapore’s assistance to Gaza.

“We will continue to work with Egypt to support humanitarian relief efforts to Gaza,” he said.

He added that he had a productive meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, and looks forward to visiting the country in 2025. Both countries are working to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

At the G-20 Summit, PM Wong also attended a side event on digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence and data for governance, where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additionally, he spoke at a discussion on sustainable development, where he repeated his call for countries to put a price on carbon to tackle global warming.

He had earlier urged leaders to do so on Nov 16, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

“When we have a price on carbon, we can collaborate on carbon markets to mobilise public and private financing for climate action,” PM Wong said on Nov 19.

Putting a price on carbon could involve implementing a carbon tax, or having new standards and rules that will make carbon more expensive and reduce demand, he suggested.

The Prime Minister also spoke on the achievement represented by the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. This landmark treaty to protect life in marine areas beyond national jurisdictions was agreed upon in 2023.

“It is in fact remarkable that the United Nations was able to adopt this new treaty by consensus at a time when the world is so unsettled and fragmented,” PM Wong said.

“It shows that despite our differences, we can still come together to address common challenges that matter to all of us.”

The Prime Minister highlighted the contributions of Singapore’s Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee, who presided over the years of complex negotiations that took place before a consensus on the treaty was reached.