New Zealand High Commission Singapore

The New Zealand Minister of Defence, Hon Chris Penk MP, attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last week.

The Minister was joined by New Zealand Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies, and Secretary of Defence, Brook Barrington.

Minister Penk delivered an address at the conference outlining New Zealand’s long-standing security presence in the region, New Zealand’s priorities building a combat capable defence force, and the importance of collaboration with close partners to uphold security, stability, and the rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific.

The Minister also held several other engagements, including:

🤝 A bilateral meeting with Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing .

🔄 The annual meeting of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) partner nations Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and UK, which is South East Asia’s longest standing defence framework.

🛡️ The launch of the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges (GUIDE) framework aimed at protecting critical undersea infrastructure, led by Singapore and endorsed by 16 other countries including New Zealand.

⚓ There was also an opportunity to spend time with crew from the Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Canterbury, currently docked in Singapore.

The visit underlined New Zealand’s strong commitment to the region, working alongside close friends like Singapore to solve pressing regional and global security challenges.



The International Institute for Strategic Studies

📸 NZDF in Southeast Asia

Wishing peace, reflection, and compassion to all who are observing this special day.

The office will be closed tomorrow Monday, 1 June 2026.

New Zealanders requiring consular assistance are advised to email [email protected], for urgent consular matters, please call +64 9920 2020

Happy Vesak Day from the New Zealand High Commission!

Wishing peace, blessings and togetherness to all who are observing this meaningful occasion.

If you need consular assistance, please email - [email protected] and if urgent consular assistance is required, call us at +64 9920 2020

Selamat Hari Raya Haji! 🌙

This week saw great progress being made to further strengthen New Zealand-Singapore relationship during Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s successful two-day visit.

Accompanied by Minister of Finance Ms. Nicola Willis and Minister for Trade and Investment Mr. Todd McClay, the Prime Minister’s Visit focused on actioning the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across diverse fields from energy to defence innovation.

Key highlights included -

🤝 The Inaugural Annual Leaders’ Meeting: PM Luxon met with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to strengthen economic ties, explore new avenues for bilateral growth and enhance bilateral connections from both countries.

💼 Business Connectivity: The Singapore-New Zealand Leadership Forum brought together senior government and business leaders from both countries including 29 business leaders from New Zealand for strategic discussions aimed at strengthening economic linkages and resilience. As New Zealand’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and entry point to the region for many of our businesses, Singapore plays an important role in the country’s growth strategy.

⛽ Enhancing Resilience: The signing of the Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies (AOTES) by Trade Minister Todd McClay and Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology (Ministry of Trade & Industry (Singapore)) Tan See Leng helps secure the movement of critical goods, including fuel and food, protecting both nations against global shocks.

🏭 Energy & Infrastructure: Prime Minister Luxon’s visit to Jurong Island with Finance Minister Willis highlighted Singapore’s role as a vital link in New Zealand’s fuel supply chain and energy security.

🛡️ Defence Cooperation: At Changi Naval Base, the Prime Minister saw firsthand the evolution of the long-standing Singapore-New Zealand defence partnership, focusing on new capabilities and uncrewed surface vessels.

As PM Luxon noted, having a reliable and trusted partner like Singapore matters more than ever in these uncertain times and both Singapore and New Zealand can look forward to continuing this momentum and building a more stable, prosperous region together.



New Zealand Trade & Enterprise; NZDF in Southeast Asia;
New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Singapore; Republic of Singapore Navy