Europe Asia News

The third meeting of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) of the High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC) between Qatar and Singapore was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on September 16, 2026.

According to a statement by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting was co-chaired by Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan Bin Saad Al Muraihi and Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan. Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Zulkarnain Abdul Rahim also attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the longstanding relations between Qatar and Singapore and their steadily growing cooperation. The parties highlighted the contribution of high-level visits to bilateral relations.

The statement recalled the state visit of former Singapore President Halimah Yacob to Qatar in June 2023 and the visit of Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to Singapore in August 2023.

It was also noted that in 2026, Singapore’s Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam paid a working visit to Qatar in February, while Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Qatar in May. Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Singapore in May, while Qatari Minister of Labour Ali bin Said Al Mari visited in July.

The Singapore side reiterated its condolences over the passing of former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The statement recalled his contributions to relations between the two countries, particularly the establishment of the High-Level Joint Committee in 2006.

The parties reiterated the importance of the High-Level Joint Committee as the key platform providing strategic direction to Qatar-Singapore relations. They also highlighted the role of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism in regularly tracking decisions and agreements and translating them into tangible results.

The meeting reviewed the work of six Technical Working Committees established under the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism. The committees were said to address cooperation in information and communications technology security, business, law, sustainability and social development.

The meeting also emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between Singapore and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The parties expressed support for efforts to update the existing GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

The parties welcomed Qatar’s admission as an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in July 2026. They also discussed the ASEAN-GCC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting planned to be held in New York in September 2026 during the high-level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The meeting is expected to be co-chaired by Singapore, as ASEAN’s coordinator for ASEAN-GCC relations, and Bahrain, as the current GCC chair. The parties said they aim to increase trade and investment flows, including through the ongoing negotiations for an ASEAN-GCC free trade agreement, in line with the ASEAN-GCC Joint Statement on Economic Cooperation adopted in 2025.

The two sides also said they look forward to strengthening interregional cooperation at the third ASEAN-GCC Summit, which will be held during Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2027.

Qatar and Singapore said they were seriously concerned about developments in the Middle East, particularly the renewed clashes between the United States and Iran.

The parties stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict and expressed appreciation for Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in the region.

Concern was also expressed over continuing threats to maritime security and international shipping in the region. The parties said Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea were disrupting trade and threatening the safety of navigation.

The parties emphasized that navigational rights and freedoms must be respected under international law. In this context, reference was made to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the SOLAS Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea.

The statement also highlighted the importance of restoring safe, unimpeded and uninterrupted passage for ships and aircraft through the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar and Singapore said that, as small states, they share common interests and views on platforms such as the Forum of Small States (FOSS) and the Global Governance Group (3G).

The parties reaffirmed their commitment to being active, responsible and constructive members of the international community and to supporting a rules-based international order and an open multilateral trading system.

At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed satisfaction with the progress made at the third meeting of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism. It was agreed that implementation of the decisions taken would be followed up through diplomatic channels and the relevant Technical Working Committees.

The parties also agreed that the fourth meeting of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism would be held in Singapore in 2027.