SINGAPORE, June 19 — Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has called for Russia’s continued engagement in Asean-led mechanisms as the republic prepares to assume the Asean Chairmanship in 2027.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said Wong, who participated in the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit (ARCS) in Kazan, Russia, welcomed Russia’s support for Asean Centrality and encouraged Moscow’s continued participation in Asean-led mechanisms, including the Asean Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit.

“Prime Minister Wong looked forward to working with Russia under Singapore’s Asean Chairmanship in 2027,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Wong participated in the ARCS from June 17 to 18 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two leaders later met on the sidelines of the summit and exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments.

During the summit, Asean and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in areas of shared interest.

The foreign ministry said Wong also highlighted that Singapore and Asean had consistently called on parties involved in conflicts to exercise restraint, return to dialogue and pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, June 16 — Malaysia is keen to strengthen cooperation in housing development with Singapore through talent mobility and knowledge-sharing initiatives, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said.

He said that through enhanced cooperation, Malaysia stands to gain valuable insights into its own public housing projects from Singapore’s successful models.

“Singapore is well known for its public housing system, specifically the HDB model, as well as its Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

“We hope to have experts share their experience with us so that we can continuously improve our own housing initiatives,” he said in his Facebook post on Tuesday.

On Monday, Nga held a bilateral meeting with Singapore’s Minister for National Development, Chee Hong Tat, to review regional progress and deepen bilateral ties on sustainable urbanisation.

The two ministers reviewed ongoing projects under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last year and explored new avenues for collaboration in sustainable housing and modern construction technologies.

Nga also voiced Malaysia’s strong support for Singapore ahead of its upcoming Asean Chairmanship in 2027. He expressed confidence that Singapore will continue to pioneer and consolidate regional cooperation, championing sustainability and inclusivity amidst global uncertainties. — Bernama