Full Breakdown
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Visit Singapore, Marking First Official Trip
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Scheduled Two-Day Visit
Singapore will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his first official visit as head of government from October 27 to the following day. The itinerary includes a welcome ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, a bilateral meeting with Wong, a dinner in the chancellor’s honour, a lunch hosted by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and the delivery of the 49th Singapore Lecture at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Background & Context – Diplomatic Milestones and Strategic Partnership
Singapore and Germany celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2025 and launched a bilateral “Year of Innovation” that year. The partnership was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2024 through a joint declaration signed by then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Wong, outlining an ambitious agenda for future cooperation. German chancellors have visited Singapore regularly since Helmut Schmidt’s 1978 trip.
Key Figures – Leaders and Officials Involved
- Friedrich Merz – Chancellor of Germany (in office since May 2025)
- Lawrence Wong – Prime Minister of Singapore
- Tharman Shanmugaratnam – President of Singapore
- Lee Hsien Loong – Senior Minister of Singapore, host of the official lunch
- Josephine Teo – Minister for Digital Development and Information, chair of the Singapore Lecture session
Economic and Defence Ties – Data & Statistics
Germany is Singapore’s largest European Union trading partner for goods and the third-largest for services. Bilateral trade in goods rose nearly 10 percent to S$23.4 billion between 2019 and 2025, following the EU-Singapore free-trade agreement’s implementation in 2019. More than 2,900 German companies now operate in Singapore, a 40 percent increase over five years. Defence cooperation includes German-built submarines for the Singapore Armed Forces and joint training programmes for armour and submarine crews.
Official Statements – Singapore MFA and German Government
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the upcoming visit as an affirmation of a “warm, longstanding and multifaceted” partnership between the two nations.
