Qatar, Singapore review progress on bilateral cooperation at High-Level Joint Committee in Doha

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.Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi and Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan co-chaired a meeting of the implementation monitoring mechanism of the two countries’ High-Level Joint Committee in Doha on Wednesday.In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the meeting reviewed bilateral cooperation, ways to strengthen it and progress in implementing agreements reached at previous meetings. Both sides welcomed the progress made. “The co-chairs reviewed the cooperation within the six Technical Working Committees (TWCs) established under the IMM in the areas of Information and Communications Technology, Security, Business, Legal, Sustainability and Social Development,” the statement said. Joint statement on the third meeting of the Qatar–Singapore implementation monitoring mechanism in Doha, Qatar 🔗 For the full Statement, please visit our website#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/thI2jLhxYv— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) September 17, 2026 The co-chairs 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 ahead to the ASEAN-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York in September, to be co-chaired by Singapore and Bahrain. Both sides looked forward to boosting trade and investment between ASEAN and the GCC, including through ongoing talks on an ASEAN-GCC FTA, as called for in the joint declaration adopted at the second ASEAN-GCC Summit in May 2025.They also expressed hope for deeper cooperation between the two regions at the third ASEAN-GCC Summit, to be held during Singapore’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2027.The co-chairs expressed serious concern over renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities in the Middle East, stressing the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for a peaceful and lasting resolution and commending Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation. “The co-chairs 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,” the statement added. They agreed that navigational rights and freedoms must be respected and upheld in accordance with international law. 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.“The co-chairs 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),” according to the statement. 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.The co-chairs welcomed the progress made and agreed to follow up through diplomatic channels and the respective TWCs.The Singaporean side also reiterated its condolences on the passing of Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, before the meeting concluded. The fourth IMM meeting will be held in Singapore in 2027.