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Singapore and European Union relations refers to the bilateral relations between the Republic of Singapore and the European Union. The two entities generally maintain good relations. [1] [2] Their leaders hold regular exchanges, and Singapore has an extensive network of embassies within the European Union. [1] Singapore's relations with the European Union date back to Singapore's independence in 1965, [2] [3] and to date, they have signed multiple agreements. [4]
The EU views Singapore as a crucial partner financially in a quickly developing region. [2] Singapore remains the EU's most important economic partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and is one if its top partners globally. [5]
The European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA), which was first proposed in 2013, is regarded by some as "the cornerstone of economic ties." [4] It was signed on 19 October 2018. [6] It aims to remove barriers to trade and investment in the EU and Singapore. [2] The EUSFTA, which is pending ratification, would be the first bilateral pact between the EU and an ASEAN nation. [7] The agreement was met with widespread approval with many companies welcoming the agreement. [8] The agreement might lead the way to more similar pacts in Asia. [7]
Among other things, the agreement would reduce tariffs for the importing and exporting of goods between Singapore and the EU. [9] Business in both areas may also bid on government projects. [9] All ASEAN products would be considered as being from Singapore when determining tariff rates. [9]
There are many expatriates from Singapore living in the EU and vice versa, [10] [11] and there are numerous resources available to help in the process of expatriation. [12] [13] [14] There are also many agencies catering to expatriates. [15] Expatriates usually have a great relationship with their host country. [16]
The European Union and Singapore have very different policies regarding human rights, but they still maintain good relations. [2] One example is the death penalty. The European Union is widely opposed to the death penalty, [17] [18] [19] and considers that the abolition of the death penalty would lead to an increase in human dignity and the development of human rights. [17] [19] Singapore, on the other hand, imposes the death penalty for crimes such as drug trafficking and murder. [20] [21] Occasionally, this ignites a discussion of human rights and the morality of the death penalty, such as in the case of Prabu Pathmanathan. [22] [23]
Censorship in Singapore primarily targets political, racial and religious issues. [24] [25] Singapore ranks 151st among 180 countries for censorship according to Reporters Without Borders. [26] The EU, in turn, generally has the greatest amount of freedom of expression in the world. [26] For a country to join the EU, it must first guarantee freedom of expression as a basic human right. [27]
Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 189 UN member states. The three exceptions are the Central African Republic, Monaco and South Sudan.
ASEAN, an abbreviation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 states in Southeast Asia. Together, its member states represent a population of over 600 million over a land area of 4.5 million km2 (1.7 million sq mi). The bloc generated a purchasing power parity (PPP) gross domestic product (GDP) of around US$10.2 trillion in 2022, constituting approximately 6.5% of global GDP (PPP). ASEAN member states include some of the fastest growing economies in the world.
A European Union Association Agreement or simply Association Agreement (AA) is a treaty between the European Union (EU), its Member States and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links.
Relations between the European Union (EU) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) or Sino–European relations are bilateral relations that were established in 1975 between the PRC and the European Community. The EU is the PRC's largest trading partner, and the PRC is the EU's largest trade partner.
Under the Basic Law, Macau's diplomatic relations and defence are the responsibility of the central government of China. Except diplomatic relations and defence, nonetheless, Macau has retained considerable autonomy in all aspects, including economic and commercial relations, customs control.
Morocco is a neighbouring and associated country of the European Union. The nation has a territorial land border with EU member Spain in the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. It also has a maritime border with Spain through the Gibraltar Strait and Exclusive Economic Zone borders with EU member Portugal in the Atlantic. The relations between the two are framed in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the Union for the Mediterranean. Among the ENP countries, Morocco has been recognised an advanced status, opening up to high levels of political cooperation.
The Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) have maintained a positive relationship through the years and have become more closely linked since 1991. Azerbaijan is currently part of the European Neighborhood Policy, the Eastern Partnership and the Council of Europe. The EU is the largest foreign grant donor to and investor in Azerbaijan, both in the government sector and civil society, making available over 600 million EURO of bilateral EU assistance since 1992.
New Zealand is party to several free trade agreements (FTAs) worldwide.
The ASEAN–European Union relations are the bilateral foreign relations between the two organisations; the European Union (EU), and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). EU and ASEAN have been interacting with each other on the economic, trade, and political levels for more than four decades. The partnership between the EU and ASEAN dates back to 1972, when the EU established ties with ASEAN. The EU became an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 1977.
The European Union–South Korea Free Trade Agreement is a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and South Korea. The agreement was signed on 15 October 2009. The agreement was provisionally applied from 1 July 2011, and entered into force from 13 December 2015, after having been ratified by all signatories.
The ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) is a free-trade area among the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People's Republic of China.
China–Singapore relations, also known as Chinese–Singaporean relations or Sino–Singaporean relations, refers to the bilateral relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Singapore. Relations between the two countries formally started on 3 October 1990. Diplomatic missions were established in the early 1990s based on trade and the warming of ties from other ASEAN countries towards mainland China.
China–Thailand relations officially started in July 1975 after years of negotiations. For a long time, Thailand, formerly called Siam, had good relations with China. China was usually greatly respected in Siam and ensured the alliance of both countries. However, after Plaek Phibunsongkhram attempted to erase and prohibit Chinese culture and influence in the country, relations were seriously damaged.
Diplomatic relations between European countries and Indonesia date back to 1949. Initially, European Union (EU)–Indonesia relations were facilitated through the EU–Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cooperation. Bilateral cooperation was continuously expanded and eventually the EU Delegation to Indonesia was opened in 1988. Economic and political dialogue between Indonesia and the EU takes the form of regular Senior Officials Meetings. In 2000 relations were further reinforced with the release of the European Commission's communication "Developing Closer Relations between Indonesia and the EU". In November 2013, the EU's high representative for foreign and security policy Catherine Ashton made her first official visit to Indonesia.
The European Union and Indonesia have built robust commercial relations, with bilateral trade amounting to approximately €25 billion in 2012 resulting in a sizeable €5.7 billion trade surplus for Indonesia with the EU. As of 2012 EU and Indonesia has been marked by an upward trend. Whereas total trade was worth almost €16 billion in 2009, by 2011 it had already reached €23.5 billion.
The future enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is theoretically open to any of the post-Soviet states and potentially any country of Europe or Asia. In order to accede, a state must fulfill certain economic and political requirements. Enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is also subject to the consent of all existing members and the candidate's adoption of existing EEU laws and implementing previous decisions made by the Eurasian Economic Commission. The present agenda of the enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is primarily focused on Tajikistan. Meanwhile, Moldova was granted Observer Status in April 2017, followed by Uzbekistan and Cuba in December 2020. The process of enlargement is referred to as Eurasian integration or Eurasianism. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of economic cooperation between Eurasian Economic Union member states.
Bangladesh–European Union relations are the foreign relations between Bangladesh and European Union. The EU is the largest export destination of Bangladesh. The present ambassador of the EU to Bangladesh is Rensje Teerink.
Vietnam, although a relatively young and small nation, has successfully established trade relations with dozens of countries worldwide. This is especially evident in the number of free trade agreements (FTAs) that the country has signed and is participating in. Being part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), economic opportunities for Vietnam expands beyond bilateral trade agreements with specific countries to include multilateral trade agreements via the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).
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