Fruitful Meeting Between Minister for Transport and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations, Mr S Iswaran, and Mr Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate for Transport, Attached to The Minister for The Ecological Transition of France

1.     Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations of Singapore met Mr Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate for Transport attached to the Minister for the Ecological Transition of France, on 14 October 2021.

2.     Minister Iswaran and Minister Delegate Djebbari welcomed the establishment of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between France and Singapore, which will restore two-way quarantine-free travel between the two countries for fully vaccinated travellers. Minister Iswaran and Minister Delegate Djebbari also witnessed the signing of the Terms of Reference for the Steering Committee for Co-operation Between Singapore and France in the Maritime Field. These Terms of Reference represent the next step in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Direction des Affaires Maritimes of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition of France and the MPA, signed in April 2021, to promote and develop synergies between the French and Singaporean maritime ecosystems and covers areas such as digitalisation, sustainability, training, and innovation.

3.     Underscoring the critical role that transport plays in enabling the functioning of supply chains and economic activity, as well as cross-border flows of people and goods, Minister Iswaran and Minister Delegate Djebbari also reiterated their commitment to strengthen and deepen co-operation between the two countries, in the areas of aviation, the maritime sector, and land and urban transport, including intelligent transport systems. This will build on the excellent relations developed over the years between both sides, and will encompass exploring opportunities to harness and advance digitalisation, automation, smart technologies, and innovation, and collaborating on transport sustainability and climate action, including in energy and operational efficiency enhancements, electrification, alternative fuels, market-based measures, and technological advancements.

4.     Minister Iswaran and Minister Delegate Djebbari also affirmed that France and Singapore will strengthen transport co-operation at relevant international organisations and multilateral platforms, premised on international law and engagement with industry and other stakeholders, towards the shared goal of keeping transport systems safe, efficient, reliable, sustainable, and resilient.