PM Lawrence Wong at the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Plus Online Summit (Apr 2026)

Prime Minister Takaichi,
Fellow leaders,
Excellencies,

Thank you, Prime Minister Takaichi, for convening this timely Summit.

We are all deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Asia is particularly exposed to the energy disruptions, given our heavy reliance on imported energy.

Singapore will do our part to strengthen regional resilience in the face of these disruptions. As a trading nation, we will facilitate the continued flow of essential goods through Singapore, by keeping our ports and trading links open, just as we did during the Covid pandemic. As a maritime hub, we will continue to uphold the navigational rights and freedoms enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which enable the steady flow of global trade across critical sea lanes. As an oil trading and refinery export hub, we will do whatever we can to secure alternative upstream feedstock, so that our industry can continue to supply refined fuel products to markets around the world.

But as has been mentioned just now, no country can secure its energy needs on its own. Resilience must be built collectively.

That is why Singapore values the mutual support and assurance from trusted partners – including Australia, Japan, and all our partners in ASEAN.

We welcome the assistance package that has been launched by Prime Minister Takaichi today. It will provide timely and practical support for Asian countries to strengthen their energy supply chains.

At the same time, we must look beyond the immediate crisis to prepare for future shocks.

So Singapore supports the upgrade of the Asia Zero Emission Community, or AZEC, to AZEC 2.0, with a stronger focus on strengthening economic and energy resilience in the region. This does not mean stepping back from AZEC’s original goal of achieving net-zero emissions. Rather, it reflects a clear recognition that energy security and decarbonisation must go hand in hand. And so, we should continue to press on with efforts for energy efficiency, to diversify our energy sources, and to make our systems more resilient against potential disruptions. We should also advance concrete regional initiatives that support these shared goals – including efforts like the ASEAN Power Grid which Prime Minister Anwar mentioned just now.

If we act together, we can develop a stronger energy architecture for our region and build energy systems that are not just cleaner, but also more secure and resilient. And Singapore stands ready to work with fellow AZEC members and partners to make this a reality. Thank you.