Overview

• On May 30, Singapore and France elevated their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking Singapore’s first such pact with a European country.
• They signed three defence agreements: a Declaration of Intent on Enhanced Defence Cooperation; a Letter of Intent on Defence AI Cooperation; and an amendment to the Administrative Arrangement on Defence Technology Cooperation.
• The Letter of Intent expands the scope of the April 2023 joint laboratory to develop AI applications for military use, focusing on data analysis, misinformation countermeasures, autonomous systems and AI safety validation.
• The amended framework updates a longstanding R&D arrangement, adding collaboration in quantum computing, microelectronics and supply chain resilience.
• Beyond defence, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will extend cooperation into education, digital policy and green energy as both nations deepen their ties.