PM Lawrence Wong at the Joint Press Conference with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon in Auckland, New Zealand (Oct 2025)

Thank you, Prime Minister Luxon, for the warm hospitality last night over dinner and also the hospitality extended to me and my delegation.

I am delighted to be in Auckland as we mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between our two countries.

As small, open states with shared strategic perspectives, our two countries  share a very close friendship built on a deep reservoir of trust and we have journeyed side by side through many milestones.

This year marks also the 25th anniversary of the Agreement on a Closer Economic Partnership with New Zealand – this was Singapore’s first bilateral, FTA, and it paved the way for even more ambitious ventures together.

We have since joined hands on other groundbreaking initiatives – like the P4 (Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership), which evolved to the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and now CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). As well as the pioneering DEPA, the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, which continues to attract interest from economies around the world; and most recently, the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership or FIT-P, which reaffirms our commitment to a robust, rules-based multilateral trading system.

And our partnership extends far beyond trade.  Under our Enhanced Partnership, we have completed 40 initiatives across a wide range of areas, from defence to climate change.

And now both Prime Minister Luxon and I agreed to build on these achievements and elevate our relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership or a CSP that is “forged in history” and “fit for the future”.

Under this CSP, we will pursue even more ambitious and innovative projects together.  Let me just highlight a few areas.

First, we will advance our shared strategic priorities. We will have an Annual Leaders’ Meeting to guide our cooperation. And together, we will work together not just for bilateral win-win projects, but also to support our wider region. By jointly delivering capacity-building programmes in the Pacific for example, drawing on Singapore’s own journey as a small island state; and working to upgrade ASEAN-New Zealand ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Second, we will strengthen economic collaboration. We are discussing a new plurilateral green economy partnership which will further push the frontiers to integrate trade and climate action, so that growth and sustainability can reinforce each other. We will deepen investment and capital markets collaboration – enabling New Zealand companies to use Singapore as a springboard to Southeast Asia, and for companies in the region to access opportunities here in New Zealand. And next year as the Prime Minister said just now, we will hold a New Zealand-Singapore Leadership Forum to enhance two-way economic, policy and business linkages. Prime Minister Luxon has been a strong advocate for the Forum, and I look forward to welcoming him in Singapore next year.

Third, we will strengthen supply chain resilience. Our Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies is the first of its kind  and will ensure critical goods continue flowing even during times of disruption or crisis.  This too, can serve as a pathfinder for other trade-dependent economies. And we will also establish a Strategic Food Partnership, to bolster food security and resilience.

Fourth, we will broaden our security cooperation. We appreciate very much New Zealand’s longstanding support for the Singapore Armed Forces’ training and will continue to facilitate the New Zealand Defence Force’s access in and through Singapore, including by hosting your assets for maintenance. We are also exploring new areas of cooperation, such as unmanned technologies and I thank New Zealand for facilitating the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s inaugural Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) training in Tekapo earlier this year.

These are just a few examples of what we will undertake together under the CSP.

Singapore and New Zealand may be small in size.  But we have shown time and again that the power of our partnership far outweighs our scale.  By working closely together, I am confident that we can continue to turn challenges into opportunities and deliver benefits for our peoples and the wider region.

I look forward to working closely with my good friend Prime Minister Luxon to bring the Singapore-New Zealand relationship to even greater heights.

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