SMALLER countries like Singapore must not get caught up in "the geopolitical games of big powers", Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan affirmed on Thursday (Mar 3), while reiterating that decisions are made based on the Republic's own national interests, and not as proxies or vassals for any other nation.

Touching on the war in Ukraine, which Russia invaded last week, Balakrishnan noted that a stand against clear violations of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity is ultimately "also about us as a tiny city-state".

Asean will soon be issuing a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire, and Singapore is continuing efforts to convey humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, he noted.

Citing the overnight United Nations vote to demand an immediate Russian withdrawal, Balakrishnan added: "We do not take sides, but we do take a stand to uphold existential principles. We make common cause with our neighbours and our friends within Asean and the UN General Assembly to the maximum extent possible."

With Singapore earlier announcing controls on exports and financial transactions involving Russia, Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim's (Sengkang GRC) asked whether the Republic plans to block Russian airlines and Russian private aircraft from landing at Changi Airport.

"I'm not in a position to make specific announcements yet, so we'll do so in due time," the minister said.

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Still, Balakrishnan also stressed that "we make decisions based on our national interests, and make it clear that we are not a proxy, vassal state or cat's paw of any country" amid tensions between the top economies of the US and China.

Fostering stronger ties with both the US and China is in Singapore's interests and "we will continue to engage both powers through diplomacy grounded in fundamental principles", he said, but added that "we have not shied away from standing up for ourselves and disagreeing on issues, when necessary".

"We do not have the luxury of saying different things to different partners. So Singapore strives to be straightforward, consistent, reliable, trustworthy," he argued.

Meanwhile, "in Asia, trade is strategy", Balakrishnan said in his remarks to the House, even as he decried as "a mistake" the US decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.

Regional arrangements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which succeeded the TPP; the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership; and the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement improve supply chains, increase global market access, encourage rules-based trade and foster greater connectivity, he said.

"Even in Singapore, as we face pushback from some people against economic integration, it is important to redouble and reaffirm that this is an essential pillar for our economic strategy."

Political office holders also highlighted Singapore's relationship-building with partners, including neighbours and regional countries.

For instance, Singapore has been Indonesia's largest foreign investor since 2014, and is one of India's largest foreign investors, said Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Education Maliki Osman. Singapore investments in Indonesia hit US$9.4 billion in 2024, and a bilateral investment treaty that kicked in last year is expected to boost bilateral investment flows.

Digital connectivity is a key area that Singapore is exploring with partners - such as the upcoming Nongsa Digital Town, meant to develop Batam as a "digital bridge" between Indonesia and Singapore.

Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development, said in Mandarin: "As China embarks on a new development paradigm, we look forward to strengthening the bilateral partnership and building capabilities in the future, especially the digital economy and green development."

Get the latest updates on Budget 2022 here: bt.sg/budget22