Singapore to open embassy in Ethiopian capital as ties grow

It shows the Republic's belief in Ethiopia's strategic importance, potential: PM Wong

- Tham Yuen-C Senior Political Correspondent

Singapore will establish an embassy in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa, as both countries cooperate to connect their respective regions.

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced this on Nov 24, during his first official visit to Ethiopia, which is also his first bilateral visit to the African continent.

"As hubs in our respective parts of the world, Singapore and Ethiopia can catalyse more trade and investment flows between Southeast Asia and Africa," he said at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali at the National Palace.

The Ethiopian mission will be Singapore's first embassy in East Africa and its third on the continent, alongside those in Egypt and South Africa. The Republic also has honorary consulates in Morocco and Nigeria.

The new embassy, which will be set up by 2027, is a tangible demonstration of Singapore's commitment to its partnership with Ethiopia and its belief in Ethiopia's strategic importance and potential, said PM Wong.

It will also let Singapore strengthen ties with Africa as a whole, with the African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa. The union represents all the countries on the African continent.

PM Wong and Dr Abiy also witnessed the signing of two agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation in skills development and carbon credits.

Under the first agreement, the Republic will launch a new technical assistance package to offer postgraduate scholarships and executive education programmes for senior African officials at Singapore universities.

So far, more than 13,000 African officials, including 300 from Ethiopia, have studied in Singapore under initiatives such as the Singapore Cooperation Programme and the Singapore-Africa Partnership Package.