SINGAPORE - Amidst a more challenging trade and geopolitical environment, Singapore looks forward to strengthening its partnership with Poland and for the two countries to work more closely together, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on June 13.

In a Facebook post following his meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, PM Wong said Poland is an important partner for the Republic in Central and Eastern Europe, and that the two countries have growing trade, investment and people-to-people ties.

“But there’s still tremendous potential for us to do more together,” PM Wong said, adding that he and Mr Duda had discussed strengthening cooperation in areas such as port development, food security and logistics.

Mr Duda was on a three-day state visit to Singapore from June 11 to 13 - the first visit by a Polish head of state to the Republic in more than 20 years.

At a business forum earlier on June 13, Mr Duda said his visit to the Republic reflects Poland’s political will to bring the two countries closer.

“The world has entered a new phase of global economic relations, a time where diversification, resilience and trusted partnerships will define success,” he said to business leaders gathered at the Shangri-La Hotel.

“The Poland-Singapore partnership can be part of that new global architecture.”

Potential areas for collaboration include advanced manufacturing, food products, logistics and trade facilitation, said Mr Duda.

He also called for “digital bridges” to be built between both sides in areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and blockchain, and for closer cooperation in defence and dual-use technologies.

This sentiment was mirrored by Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, who also spoke at the forum, which was jointly organised by Poland’s embassy in Singapore, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, and the Singapore Business Federation.

“As we face a volatile trade and geopolitical environment, it is especially important for like-minded partners such as Singapore and Poland to exchange perspectives and create opportunities for mutual growth,” said Ms Fu.

She suggested two ways in which countries can achieve economic success despite these turbulent times.

The first was to build a robust architecture of economic agreements, which would further strengthen the global rules-based trading system, and give businesses greater clarity and certainty.

She cited the