‘Better late than never,’ says Balakrishnan on first Pakistan visit by S’pore leader in two decades

Vivian Balakrishnan visited Islamabad on Oct 30 at the invitation of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The visit marked 60 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Pakistan. It focused on strengthening trade, investment, technology and disaster-response cooperation.

The visit was described as long overdue because direct, high-level visits between the countries have been extremely rare. Balakrishnan said his records showed that former Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong visited Pakistan in 2004. He therefore called the new visit “belated, but better late than never.”

The meeting also showed that limited leader visits do not mean the relationship has been inactive. Balakrishnan said both governments have stayed in constant communication and have an effective partnership. The next steps include deeper business links, carbon-market cooperation, disaster-response work and stronger connections between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Diplomatic relations are formal ties between countries. They provide a framework for governments to communicate, solve disagreements, exchange views and build cooperation. Maintaining such relations for 60 years means Singapore and Pakistan have kept an official channel open across six decades. That continuity matters even when visits or trade levels are limited.

In this case, the anniversary brought Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to Islamabad. He met Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The two sides discussed trade, investment, technology, disaster preparedness and regional cooperation. They also renewed attention to a relationship that had not often featured direct leader visits.

The relationship is active rather than merely symbolic. Balakrishnan said the governments remain in constant communication and have an effective partnership. The anniversary gives them a chance to turn that political continuity into more business contact, practical disaster cooperation and links between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Trade between Singapore and Pakistan currently totals about US$1.19 billion, or S$1.5 billion. That is the value of goods and commercial exchange identified during Balakrishnan’s visit. The figure matters because it shows the economic relationship is modest compared with Singapore’s links with other South Asian countries.

Singapore’s trade with India is around US$35 billion. Its trade with Bangladesh is about US$3 billion. India’s figure is therefore roughly 29 times Singapore-Pakistan trade, while Bangladesh’s is about two and a half times larger. These comparisons highlight the gap without suggesting that the countries have no economic relationship.

Balakrishnan said the numbers “ought to be much higher.” Singapore and Pakistan want businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to engage directly. Governments can help by making those contacts easier, clarifying risks and opportunities, and finding new areas for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Singapore and Pakistan believe their economic relationship could be much larger because current trade is low compared with Singapore’s trade with India and Bangladesh. Balakrishnan said the existing numbers and data show that trade relations “ought to be much higher.” Greater investment and technological upskilling are also priorities.

The proposed mechanism is more direct business engagement. Small and medium-sized enterprises need to understand commercial opportunities and risks across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Governments can support them by facilitating contacts and identifying new areas for mutually beneficial cooperation. Carbon markets were also mentioned as a possible field.

The current trade value is about US$1.19 billion, compared with US$35 billion with India and US$3 billion with Bangladesh. Those figures show substantial room for growth, but the article does not give a target or timeline. Progress will depend on whether businesses turn government support into actual trade and investment.

The disaster-response memorandum of understanding creates a practical framework for Singapore and Pakistan to cooperate before and during major emergencies. It matters because Pakistan has extensive experience responding to floods and other extreme weather events. Singapore hopes to learn from that experience and improve future resilience.

The agreement was exchanged by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority. It covers possible cooperation on early-warning systems, sharing best practices and strengthening search-and-rescue capabilities. The countries also hope to conduct joint training and exercises. These activities can turn general commitments into shared procedures and skills.

The article does not announce a specific exercise or completion date. It says the two sides hope to explore these areas. If implemented, the MOU could improve preparedness, coordination and rescue capacity in both countries. It also reflects the shared principle that disasters cross boundaries and require cooperation.

ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are regional organisations that bring countries together for dialogue and cooperation. ASEAN is the Southeast Asian grouping, while the SCO is the organisation Pakistan will lead during the period mentioned. The article presents them as diverse regional blocs with opportunities to work more closely.

Singapore will chair ASEAN in 2027, and Pakistan will lead the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Pakistan is already an ASEAN sectoral dialogue partner. These roles create a mechanism for Singapore and Pakistan to connect discussions across the two organisations, rather than treating their relationship as only bilateral.

The article does not specify particular joint programmes between ASEAN and the SCO. It says the leadership roles create opportunities for the blocs to do more together. Possible benefits described in the article include keeping both countries open, connected and constructively engaged in an uncertain global environment, including on the business side.

Countries share disaster knowledge because floods and extreme weather can create urgent needs that exceed one country’s experience or capacity. Early warnings give people and authorities more time to prepare. Rescue training and shared procedures can make responses faster and more coordinated. As Balakrishnan put it, disasters do not respect boundaries or passports.

Pakistan has extensive experience responding to large-scale natural disasters, including floods and other extreme weather events. Singapore therefore wants to learn from Pakistan. The memorandum provides a mechanism for exchanging best practices, strengthening search-and-rescue capabilities, exploring early-warning systems and conducting joint training and exercises.

The countries may face different risks, but the basic response tasks overlap: detecting danger, communicating warnings, rescuing people and learning from past emergencies. The article does not describe specific systems already shared. It says cooperation will be explored, suggesting that the immediate result is a framework for future practical work and greater resilience.