Talks held in Islamabad

Singapore's Foreign Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, visited Islamabad on Friday 30 October 2026 at the invitation of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The visit was the first by a Singaporean foreign minister in more than two decades, according to reporting of the trip, and it coincided with 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The two ministers held bilateral and delegation-level talks covering the full range of the relationship, and exchanged views on regional and global developments of shared interest. Reporting of the meeting says Dar stressed the need for stronger institutional mechanisms and regular follow-up so that agreed cooperation actually moves forward.

Trade, food security and connectivity on the agenda

Discussions focused on expanding trade and investment, strengthening cooperation in agriculture and food security, and improving connectivity to support tourism and business exchanges. Skills development was also covered in the talks, according to reports of the meeting.

The ministers also set the bilateral discussion in a wider multilateral context. Pakistan has assumed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation chairmanship, while Singapore is due to assume the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027, and both sides underlined the importance of multilateralism in addressing shared challenges.

Disaster pact and wider programme

A memorandum of understanding on disaster-management cooperation was exchanged between Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority and Singapore's Civil Defence Force, covering training, urban search-and-rescue expertise and emergency-response practice.

Balakrishnan also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with the two leaders agreeing to strengthen trade, investment and economic cooperation. At a joint press briefing with Dar, Balakrishnan invited the prime minister to visit Singapore on behalf of his own prime minister, and the invitation was accepted. The visiting minister's programme also included a visit to the National Center of Artificial Intelligence at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad.

Sources: Associated Press of Pakistan