Ecuador President Daniel Noboa on 2-day state visit to Singapore

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Azin is on a two-day state visit to Singapore till Aug 24.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 23) that the visit is at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

The 38-year-old president's visit is also the first state visit by an Ecuador head of state to Singapore, according to MFA.

"President Noboa’s visit reaffirms the warm ties between Singapore and Ecuador and provides an opportunity to discuss ways to deepen ties in areas such as agri-trade, logistics, and digitalisation," MFA said in its statement.

While in Singapore, President Noboa will call on President Tharman, who will also be hosting a state banquet in his honour.

President Noboa will also meet with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on development cooperation by Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Ecuadorian Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Carlos Kury Pesantes.

The agreement seeks to promote cooperation through capacity building and the exchange of information on best practices in education, leadership and governance, digitalisation, sustainability, public health, and trade and economy. 

Other than Pesantes, President Noboa will be accompanied by Minister of Economic and Productive Development Sariha Belén Moya Angulo, Minister of Environment and Energy Juan Carlos Damián Blum Baquero, and senior Ecuadorian officials. 

Singapore and Ecuador established diplomatic relations in September 1994. 

Last year, bilateral trade in goods rose to $248 million, while trade in services amounted to $578 million in 2024.

Imports from Ecuador are largely in agri-commodities, while Singapore's exports are in advanced manufacturing.

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