Singapore’s Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Russian-Ukrainian Crisis Threatens World Order

 Foreign Minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan
Foreign Minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan
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Singapore’s Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Russian-Ukrainian Crisis Threatens World Order

 Foreign Minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan
Foreign Minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said that the Russian attack on Ukraine was a “great threat to the world order,” warning at the same time against the US-Chinese tension over Taiwan.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Balakrishnan stressed that the continuation of the Russian attack on Ukraine constituted a major threat to the world order and a blatant violation of international law.

The invasion sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the security and existence of many countries, especially small countries like Singapore, the minister emphasized.

Ukraine Crisis

On the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis on the economic, financial and food situation in the world and Singapore in particular, the minister said that the war would harm supply chains and obstruct post-pandemic economic recovery efforts.

“It is of great concern to countries in Asia, where stable and resilient supply chains are critical to ensuring the continued flow of essential goods, such as food and medical supplies,” Balakrishnan said, stressing the need for countries to work together to ensure that international trade remains smooth, predictable, open and reliable.

Tension between Beijing and Washington

Balakrishnan warned against the deepening division between the United States and China, and the risk of a real and growing mishap or miscalculation between the two countries.

He underlined the need for the two leaderships to maintain communication, especially at the highest level, in order to reach a temporary settlement and to prevent war.

Stable relations between the United States and China are vital to regional and international peace and prosperity, he remarked.

Relations with Saudi Arabia

The foreign minister said that Singaporean-Saudi relations were accelerating towards digital and technological integration, including the expansion of cooperation in many fields, including trade, investment, and education.

The Kingdom is Singapore’s second largest trading partner in the Middle East, as bilateral trade exceeded $6.8 billion in 2021, the minister told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Balakrishnan praised Saudi Arabia’s rapid and dynamic development within the framework of the ambitious Vision 2030 agenda.

In this regard, the minister pointed to the launch of the Saudi-Singapore Joint Committee (SSJC) in December 2021, which he said constituted a major cooperation platform in the fields of transport, logistics, digital economy and energy.

He added that the committee would seek to face future challenges posed by the climate change, with Saudi Arabia adopting the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2060 and Singapore by 2050.

“With the launch of digital finance in both Singapore and Saudi Arabia, we are discussing a memorandum of cooperation to strengthen partnership in the areas of digital economy, emerging technologies and e-government, which will be signed soon,” the minister revealed.

He added that his country was pleased that Saudi Arabia has adopted the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) developed by Singapore, highlighting “the aspects of integration between our national strategy for artificial intelligence, and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”

Balakrishnan also told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country was keen to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia in artificial intelligence, including digitally enabled services and smart cities.

“We also look forward to strong cooperation in the field of cyber-security,” he emphasized.

The Joint Committee: A platform for cooperation between the two countries

The minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore said that the Saudi-Singapore Joint Committee (SSJC) was vital platform to discuss concrete projects and strengthen economic ties across a variety of sectors.

The idea of the committee was raised by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, during the state visit of President Halimah Yacob to Riyadh in November 2019.

The minister announced that his country would host the second session of the SSJC later this year, hoping to expand cooperation to include vital sectors such as green economy and digital fields, in addition to tackling emerging challenges, opportunities for cooperation and contribution to development goals, and attracting Saudi companies to benefit from Singapore as a gateway to Asia.

Energy cooperation

Balakrishnan highlighted his country’s keenness to expand energy cooperation with Riyadh, stressing that the Kingdom was a global power and a key player in the energy sector.

“In December 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the energy sector for cooperation in areas such as energy efficiency and conservation, as well as building capacity in low-carbon technologies, such as hydrogen and carbon capture, use and storage,” he stated.

The Minister indicated that both Saudi Arabia and Singapore were aware of the importance of collective action within the international community, to address climate change and improve sustainability.

He noted in this regard that the two countries joined the Global Methane Pledge - which seeks to collectively reduce global methane emissions across all sectors by at least 30 percent by 2030 – during their participation in the 26-COP conference in Glasgow in November 2021.



Russian Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Mining Concessions Dependent on Ukraine Talks Progress

Alexander Ionov, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council under President Vladimir Putin (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Alexander Ionov, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council under President Vladimir Putin (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Russian Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Mining Concessions Dependent on Ukraine Talks Progress

Alexander Ionov, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council under President Vladimir Putin (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Alexander Ionov, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council under President Vladimir Putin (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Amid statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding the future of agreements brokered by Riyadh over the Russia-Ukraine crisis, a Russian official has expressed Moscow's readiness to make concessions on certain raw materials and mining activities under US negotiation.

However, the official linked these concessions to the outcomes of talks in Riyadh.

Alexander Ionov, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council under President Vladimir Putin, revealed that the Russian side supports establishing relations with the US.

According to Ionov, Russia is willing to make concessions on certain raw materials and mining activities, but everything depends on the negotiations concerning Ukraine.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ionov pointed out that if progress is made in US-Russia understandings on Ukraine, and results are seen regarding the lifting of sanctions, that could potentially be the key to establishing normal, positive relations.

However, so far, Trump’s rhetoric remains purely political, with no concrete steps taken.

Regarding the potential inclusion of European Union countries in Ukraine-related negotiations at some stage, Ionov said that the negotiations are progressing, but the Ukrainian side is seeking to garner European support and set its own terms, which conflict with the views of both Russia and the US.

The White House is frustrated with Kyiv’s rhetoric, and Trump’s team is exerting significant pressure.

Ionov continued to say that everyone is waiting for the Black Sea agreement, reached by the Russian and US delegations, to come into effect.

However, it’s clear that this deal will only be effective after a ceasefire. In the meantime, Kyiv is losing territory, while Russia has liberated the Kursk region.

According to Ionov, European countries are eager to join the negotiation process, but for obvious reasons, they cannot be full participants. They support the Ukrainian scenario of autonomy, which means maintaining Ukraine’s territory as it stood in 1991.

He pointed out that leaders from many countries, especially France and the UK, have called for NATO peacekeeping forces to be deployed in Ukraine.

This is unacceptable to Russia, affirmed Ionov.

In general, we see an aggressive stance from European leaders who are willing to continue investing in this direction.

Ionov believes that US President Donald Trump wants to expedite the signing of a peace agreement on the Ukraine conflict, as he sees it as part of his election campaign.

However, the EU and Ukraine are slowing down the process, coupled with significant tensions in negotiations between the US and Russian delegations, with little progress made.

On the effectiveness of sanctions imposed on Russia, Ionov argued that Trump should find the real culprit in this whole matter, rather than threaten to impose restrictions on Russian oil.

In general, this will not have much impact on Russia’s economy, as the main consumers of Russian raw materials are not in the West, but in the East, confirmed Ionov.

Additionally, Russia has much greater influence over OPEC than the US. Saudi Arabia is actively cooperating with Russia and Venezuela on the oil market, and the US can do little about it at this point.

In reality, the Russian side supports building relations with the US, and it is willing to make concessions on certain raw materials and mining activities. But everything depends on the negotiations concerning Ukraine.

As for Saudi- Russian relations, Ionov reaffirmed that Russia engages with the Saudi people with warmth and kindness. Much work is being done at the official level, as Saudi Arabia is a key partner for Russia in the Middle East, he added.

Russian-Saudi cooperation shows a shared effort in developing the regional security framework, as well as advancing projects in humanitarian cooperation.

Ionov hoped the Kingdom will continue its efforts in developing joint energy projects with Russia and will participate in the BRICS alliance.