An exclusive interview with H.E. Kara Owen, British High Commissioner to Singapore

The UK and Singapore have enjoyed a rich and enduring friendship based on long history. Through the years, both countries have cooperated on a wide range of international issues ranging from free trade, climate action and sustainability whilst simultaneously setting out on shared approaches in areas of technology, knowledge and education and security.

The UK is Singapore’s fourth largest European trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods valued at S$16.8 billion in 2020. Strong people-to-people ties continue to underpin the many facets of the excellent bilateral relations between the two nations and coupled with cross-border business collaborations, both the UK and Singapore have through the years, achieved mutual prosperity and overall progress.

We caught up with High Commissioner, Kara Owen who spoke about the UK’s bi-lateral trade relationship with Singapore, its longstanding commitment to  maximize cooperation in international fora, including its extensive people-to-people links which are at the heart of this enduring partnership.

Her Excellency also shared her views on:

The current state of diplomatic relations between the UK and Singapore
The UK Government’s priority for its engagement with Singapore
The booming tech sector, particularly around digitalisation in Asia and in Singapore specifically
The UK perspective on Singapore and ASEAN in view of Brexit
The defense agreements between Singapore and the UK
Bilateral trade between both nations, including key exports and imports activities between the two countries
Further opportunities for trade with British companies, particularly around digital economy agreements
The positive relationship between both nations in relation education
How the UK is engaging Singapore from a cultural, education and arts perspective