APA-Pretoria (South Africa) South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile arrived in Singapore on Sunday on a mission to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, the presidency has announced.
The first stop of Mashatile’s visit was at the Marina Barrage development, the southeast Asian country’s innovate water resource management project.
Singapore has made big strides in the area of seawater desalination by investing significantly in research and development of water management and sustainability.
“The deputy president’s visit to the country is aimed at building and strengthening bilateral relations, particularly increasing trade, economic, knowledge and cultural exchange between the two states,” the presidency said in a statement.
The World Bank has ranked Singapore as the number one country in the world for ease of doing business since 2006 and the country is an important global aviation and maritime hub.
In addition, Singapore was also considered as an important gateway for the export of South African goods and services to southeast Asia and a hub for joint venture partnerships throughout Asia.
South Africa exports a range of products to Singapore, including gold, diamonds and wine, while Singapore exports electronics, chemicals and machinery to this country.
NM/jn/APA