Did you know Canada and Singapore share an Olympic year? In 2010, Canada welcomed the world to Vancouver for the Olympic Games. That same year, Singapore held the Youth Olympic Games. This months artwork by Zephyron celebrates those games and its Olympic connection to our city. "I enjoyed it. It was a breath of fresh air, and it's nice to see the limited interaction involved that's friendly instead of the usual hostilities. My inspiration was the good memories."
Canada and Singapore share a relationship on many levels, including the promotion of economic growth, good governance, promotion of democracy, regional stability and security. Our cooperation also extends to confidence building and preventive diplomacy as well as the reduction of trade restrictions. The two countries share membership in many international forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and with dialogue through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the security-oriented ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
In the field of defence and security, areas of cooperation include pilot training, maritime security, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and counter-terrorism.
As both Singapore and Canada have diverse populations that represent a range of cultural values, customs and perspectives, the two countries pursue an open dialogue and exchange of ideas on policies and programs related to pluralism and multiculturalism.
Canada and Singapore also enjoy strong people-to-people links. These ties are enhanced by the thousands of Singaporean students who have elected to study in Canada, the many Canadians who reside in Singapore, and the 83,000 Canadians that visit the city-state every year.
Singapore is an important regional trade partner for Canada and is Canada's third largest export market in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Singapore is a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations, which Canada and Mexico formally joined in October 2012.
As a major Asian gateway, Singapore is important in the context of Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway Corridor Initiative. Singapore offers a diverse array of commercial, research and development opportunities for Canadian firms and investors and is well-placed for Canadian companies intending to do business with Southeast Asia, China and India.
Zephyron
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