PM Lawrence Wong at the Joint Press Conference with Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Friedrich Merz (Oct 2026)

Your Excellency Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me begin by extending a very warm welcome to Chancellor Merz and his delegation.

Chancellor, it is very good to see you again. When we met last November, I said that I looked forward to welcoming you to Singapore. So, I am delighted that you have taken up this invitation, and that you have also brought with you a very large business delegation.

Bilateral Relations

Our two countries share a longstanding and substantive relationship, built on mutual trust and shared interest. And last year, we marked 60 years of diplomatic ties.

Germany has been an important partner in Singapore’s development from our earliest years. Institutions like the German-Singapore Institute of Production Technology and the Rollei Government Training Centre helped to equip generations of Singaporeans with valuable technical skills and expertise, and supported our transformation into an advanced economy. And so for that we are very grateful.

And over the decades, our relationship has grown from strength to strength. Today our cooperation spans many areas, underpinned by our Strategic Partnership.

Our economic ties are especially strong. Germany is one of Singapore’s largest trading partners in the EU. And our Bilateral trade in both goods and services has increased significantly since the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement entered into force.

Today, more than 2,900 German companies are based in Singapore. They include global leaders like Siemens, SAP, Evonik, and Infineon, as well as many innovative Mittelstand companies. They contribute to our economy and they use Singapore as a gateway to access opportunities across ASEAN and the wider Pacific region.

We also enjoy strong defence ties. Our Leopard tanks, our Invincible-class submarines are German-made. And earlier this year, we launched Singapore’s first Sentinel-class Offshore Patrol Vessel,  also built and made in Germany.

In particular, Singapore deeply appreciates Germany’s longstanding support of the SAF’s armour training in Oberlausitz and our submarine crew training in Kiel.

These arrangements reflect the high level of trust between our two countries.

Future Areas of Cooperation

We had a fruitful discussion earlier and Chancellor Merz and I both agree that there is much more we can do together under our Strategic Partnership. And we have both agreed on an updated Joint Work Plan.

Let me just briefly highlight a few areas.

First, on the digital economy and Artificial Intelligence.

We both recognise the enormous potential of digital technologies and AI to transform our economies, and create new opportunities for our businesses and workers.

And we want to go further – particularly in the development and deployment of industrial AI, where the strengths of our two countries can complement each other.

At the same time, we recognise that AI brings new risks and challenges. And so even as we both cooperate on AI deployment, we will ensure that this is done in a way that remains safe, trusted and human-centred.

Second, on research and innovation.

There is already a strong German academic and research presence in Singapore. For example, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) established its campus here in 2002 – which was the first campus of a German university abroad. And more recently, two Max-Planck Centres opened here in Singapore, the first of their kind in Southeast Asia.

This year, we also launched the Singapore-German(y) Year of Innovation.

We intend to build on this momentum, and pursue more joint research and innovation projects in areas like AI, advanced manufacturing, green technologies, semiconductors, quantum and space technologies.

Third, we will strengthen cooperation between our regions.

Singapore and Germany are both deeply connected to the global economy. We depend on open markets and strong international partnerships.

But the world around us is becoming more fragmented. The zeitgeist is turning against openness and trade. Our response is not to turn inwards. Instead, it is to work with like-minded partners to build new connections.

And so I welcome Germany becoming an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in July, which is an important step in bringing Germany and Southeast Asia closer together.

And as ASEAN Chair next year, Singapore will work to deepen ASEAN’s partnerships with both Germany and the EU, including by making progress towards an ASEAN-EU Free Trade Agreement.

Finally, Singapore and Germany are natural partners in upholding the international rules-based order.

We are both committed to international law and multilateral cooperation. And we believe that countries, large and small, benefit from a world where the rules are respected, commitments are honoured, and disputes resolved peacefully.

We are therefore pleased that Germany has joined Singapore and 16 other nations in endorsing the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges, or GUIDE. This initiative will strengthen cooperation across regions to protect critical underwater infrastructure, which is essential to our security and connectivity.

Conclusion

Singapore and Germany may be geographically far apart, but we share many common interests and convictions and this was very clear from our discussion this morning. These shared convictions have underpinned our friendship over the past six decades. And in a world that is becoming more uncertain and fragmented, our ties will be even more important in bringing our two countries and our two regions closer together.

So, Chancellor Merz, once again let me welcome you to Singapore. I thank you for your friendship and partnership, and look forward to working closely with you to take our bilateral relationship to even greater heights. Thank you very much.