Lawrence Wong says he & New Zealand Prime Minister are ‘already in sync’; landmark food, fuel pact signed

SINGAPORE: New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in Singapore to witness the signing of a landmark comprehensive partnership pact. The agreement involves the continuous flow between the two countries of essentials such as food and fuel during times of crisis.

This comes in the wake of an agreement signed between Singapore and Australia a few weeks ago.

Mr Luxon sounded exultant in a video he posted on social media on Monday (May 4) after the agreement was signed. He filmed the clip in front of an oil refinery, saying that the fuel from the refinery would be going straight to New Zealand.

Essentials would flow between the two countries “even when the world gets disrupted.” He said that around one-third of New Zealand’s fuel is refined in Singapore, adding, “So what happens in Singapore affects our fuel supply at home. It’s this fuel that keeps trucks moving, farms running, and food on the table for everyone.”

Mr Luxon underlined that Singapore also gets some of its food supply from New Zealand, so the pact is mutually beneficial.

“This deal basically locks in that relationship,” he added, telling New Zealanders that it’s all about keeping the country moving “no matter what happens.”

On Sunday evening, PM Wong had posted a photo of himself and Mr Luxon in black shirts, writing, “we’re already in sync, down to our matching outfits.”

Landmark pact

The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies (AOTES) is the first legally binding bilateral supply chain resilience agreement in the world. Singapore and New Zealand have committed not to impose unnecessary export restrictions on agreed essential supplies. Aside from food and fuel, these include healthcare and chemical supplies, as well as construction products. 

It was signed by Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science and Technology, Tan See Leng, and New Zealand Minister for Trade and Investment, Todd McClay. The signing was witnessed by Mr Luxon and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Other countries

According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, Mr Luxon said that he and PM Wong discussed bringing other countries in to sign the deal as well, with the two leaders talking about whether there were “other countries that we might be able to bring into it”.

“There’s potentially a group of countries that might be interested in that,” Mr Luxon told members of the media on Monday afternoon.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, as well as meet with Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, on Tuesday (May 5). /TISG

Read also: Australia inks agreement with Singapore for fuel supply as pumps run dry