Singapore joins hands with ASEAN to address challenges

Singapore holds the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2018. (Photo: AP)

As holding the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore will make efforts to strengthen the bloc’s collective resilience against common threats such as terrorism, cybercrimes and climate change.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made the remarks on January 12 at the opening ceremony of the Experience ASEAN festival, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to kick off the country’s rotating ASEAN chairmanship.

Singapore will promote schemes that capitalise on innovation to help ASEAN economies to innovate and apply more technologies in various fields, he said.

Along with promoting regional economic integration and connectivity to foster the bloc’s competitive capacity, the country will seek measures to enhance skills for ASEAN people to get used to the digital economy, Lee said.

Singapore has chosen “Resilient and Innovative” as theme of the ASEAN 2018, which means in the context of global complex developments, ASEAN member nations will enhance solidarity and capacity to address challenges while grasp opportunities for development. 

The last time Singapore chaired ASEAN was in 2007.

VNA