SINGAPORE: Singapore has provided the Palestinian Authority with a special medical assistance package worth about S$750,000, including COVID-19 testing kits and masks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sunday (March 20).
The aid package includes 10,000 COVID-19 PCR test kits developed by Alliance BioMed in Singapore and 30,000 Air+ reusable masks donated by the Temasek Foundation.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the program also includes customized healthcare courses and postgraduate scholarships aimed at training Palestinian healthcare policy makers and professionals.
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Steyer and Foreign Minister Riyadh Malki in Ramallah. He will meet Health Minister Mai Al-Kera later on Sunday.
The foreign minister said the minister reaffirmed the warm and friendly relationship between Singapore and the Palestinian Authority.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added: “On behalf of President Halimah and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister Balakrishnan conveyed invitations to visit Singapore to President Abbas and Prime Minister Steyer respectively, which the Palestinian leadership welcomed.”
Mr Lee visited the Palestinian territories in 2016, the first visit by a Singaporean prime minister.
During the visit, Dr Balakrishnan also reiterated Singapore’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian Authority through capacity building and encouraged more Palestinian officials to attend training courses under the S$10 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Programme (ETAP).
The package sponsors customized training courses, study visits and postgraduate fellowships in areas in need of Palestinian officials. To date, more than 600 Palestinians have benefited, providing 13 bespoke study visits and 8 postgraduate scholarships to the Palestinian Authority.
“To facilitate closer coordination with the PA for the implementation of ETAP, Minister Balakrishnan conveyed Singapore’s intention to establish a representative office in Ramallah to coordinate our technical assistance to the PA and to support Singapore’s non-resident representative to the PA. work,” the foreign ministry said.
The statement added that Mr Al-Malki welcomed the opening of the representative office.
In 2016, Singapore appointed Hawazi Daipi as its first non-resident representative to the Palestinian Authority.
“Minister Balakrishnan reiterated that Singapore has long supported in principle a negotiated two-state solution in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security to achieve a lasting, just and comprehensive settlement. plan,” the foreign ministry said.
“Minister Balakrishnan expressed his hope that the Israeli and Palestinian sides would find a way to negotiate directly on the basis of a two-state solution. He also urged the parties to refrain from any unilateral actions that could increase tensions and undermine prospects. For peace.”
Dr. Balakrishnan is on an official visit to the Middle East. In addition to the Palestinian territories, he was in Bahrain on Saturday and will also visit Israel.
