Kuala Lumpur, July 11 (AseanAll) — Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan attended the Fourth Conference on Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development Ministerial Meeting (CEAPAD IV) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 11 July 2025.
CEAPAD was initiated by Japan in 2013 for regional countries to discuss capacity-building assistance for the Palestinian Authority (PA).
In his statement, Balakrishnan re-affirmed Singapore’s support for the PA’s capacity building efforts through the S$10 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP) and through two new initiatives. In 2026, Singapore will collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to train Palestinian Civil Police officers in community policing. In addition, a new Young Leaders Programme for emerging Palestinian leaders will be established to share Singapore’s experience in governance and public administration.
Balakrishnan also met separately with Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr Estephan Anton Salameh on the sidelines. They discussed relevant areas which Singapore can be of assistance to the PA. Balakrishnan welcomed more Palestinian officials to participate in programmes under the ETAP.
