Decision to join any grouping must be based on national interests: Vivian

Any decision for Singapore to join international groupings must be carefully considered and clearly defined by national interests, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Nov 11.

- Goh Yan Han

Noting that such groups have formed in recent years, he added that this is part of a response to the transition from a unipolar world with a single major power, to a multipolar one.

"Countries are hedging through these different configurations amidst a more divided and uncertain global environment," he said. "We will keep an open mind on all these new constructs, and we will continue to watch developments closely insofar as the impact on Singapore."

Dr Balakrishnan highlighted newer groupings that have emerged recently. These include the Quad that was restarted in 2017, Aukus that was created in 2021, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in 2022 and the expansion of Brics.

The Quad, Aukus and IPEF all include the United States as a key member, while the Brics group was formed to create a counterweight to Western influence.

In October 2024, Brics announced four new members and 13 new partner countries. Among its new partners are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.