Doha, Qatar: The Implementation Monitoring Mechanism of the Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee held its third meeting in Doha.
The meeting was co-chaired by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi and HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, with the participation of HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Singapore, Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the warm and longstanding relations as well as the growing cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Singapore. They welcomed the exchange of high-level visits, including the State Visit by HE former president of the Republic of Singapore Halimah Yacob to Qatar in June 2023 and the visit by HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani to Singapore in August 2023. More recently, HE Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs of the Republic of Singapore, K Shanmugam, and HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, made separate working visits to Qatar in February and May 2026 respectively. HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani and HE Minister of Labour Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri also made separate visits to Singapore in May and July 2026 respectively.
The Singaporean side reiterated its condolences on the passing of His Highness the late Father Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, recalling his distinguished contributions to bilateral relations, most notably the establishment of the Joint High-Level Committee in 2006.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the Joint High-Level Committee as the main platform for providing strategic direction to bilateral relations, while underscoring the value of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism in facilitating regular follow-up and translating key decisions and agreements into practical outcomes.
The two sides reviewed the cooperation within the six Technical Working Committees (TWCs) established under the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism in the areas of Information and Communications Technology, Security, Business, Legal, Sustainability and Social Development.
They agreed on the importance of elevating cooperation between Singapore and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), including through an upgrade of the existing GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
They welcomed Qatar’s admission as an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in July 2026 and looked forward to the upcoming ASEAN-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York City in September 2026, which will be co-chaired by Singapore as ASEAN’s coordinator for ASEAN-GCC relations and Bahrain as the GCC President.
Both sides looked forward to enhancing trade and investment flows between ASEAN and the GCC, including through the ongoing discussions on an ASEAN-GCC FTA as called for in the ASEAN-GCC Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation adopted at the second ASEAN-GCC Summit in May 2025.
Both sides also looked forward to strengthening cooperation between their respective regions at the third ASEAN-GCC Summit during Singapore’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2027.
Both sides expressed serious concern over the situation in the Middle East, particularly the renewed hostilities involving the US and Iran.
They underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in achieving a peaceful and lasting resolution to the conflict, and commended Qatar’s sustained diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation in the region.
They also expressed concern over continued threats to maritime security and international shipping in the region, including attacks by the Houthis on vessels in the Red Sea, which have disrupted trade and threatened the safety and freedom of navigation.
They agreed that navigational rights and freedoms must be respected and upheld in accordance with international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the safety of seafarers and ships must be ensured in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
In this regard, they also underscored the importance of restoring safe, unimpeded and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz, a Strait Used for International Navigation.
The two sides noted the common interests and perspectives that Singapore and Qatar share as fellow small states, including through their active participation in the Forum of Small States (FOSS) and the Global Governance Group (3G).
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to being active, responsible, and constructive members of the international community, and to uphold a rules-based international order and an open multilateral trading system.
At the close of the meeting, they expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved and agreed to follow up on the implementation of the outcomes of the third meeting through diplomatic channels and the respective TWCs. Both sides agreed for the fourth meeting of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism to be held in Singapore in 2027.
