Prior to the signings, President Halimah laid a wreath at the Monument of the Motherland Defenders and was accorded a state welcome ceremony at Akorda Palace.
President Tokayev hosted a state luncheon in her honour, and President Halimah will be hosted to dinner by Kazakhstan Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov.
President Halimah was also presented with the Order of Dostyk (Friendship) of the First Class, a token of friendship that was also presented to Singapore’s Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2012. In a Facebook post, she said it is a testament to the strong friendship between both countries.
She also welcomed the plans by Air Astana to launch direct flights to Singapore in future, which would facilitate more business and tourist traffic.
At a business forum held at The St Regis Astana, Madam Halimah highlighted the services and investment agreement, which is a key component of the free trade agreement between Singapore and the Eurasian Economic Union.
“Together with the upcoming ratification of the Bilateral Investment Treaty which was signed in 2018, I am confident that these agreements will strengthen economic ties between Singapore and Kazakhstan,” she said.
In an increasingly complex and challenging global environment, Singapore continues to seek and be open to new partners and businesses, she said, adding there is scope to expand the economic partnership between the two countries.
She noted that Singapore companies have successfully ventured into Kazakhstan in a variety of sectors including master planning, logistics, digital connectivity, e-governance, and capacity building.
During the trip, close to 20 MOUs will be inked between Singapore companies, such as PSA International, Surbana Jurong and Wilmar International, and their Kazakh partners to further opportunities within the Kazakh market, she said.
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