‘Slightly encouraged’: Vivian Balakrishnan reflects on a hectic UN General Assembly

Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said he was leaving the UN General Assembly “slightly encouraged”, even as the world remains in a “disrupted and potentially dangerous phase”.

Speaking to local media from New York after delivering Singapore's statement on Sunday (Sep 27), Dr Balakrishnan reflected on some of the major issues discussed during a hectic week of diplomacy — from US-China relations and the Trump-Xi meeting to ongoing conflicts and the promise and perils of AI.

He also spoke about how small states such as Singapore can navigate an increasingly fractured world, saying they must continue to make their voices heard and remain consistent, constructive and relevant.

“You're not going to get these all solved in one week, or frankly even in one year,” Dr Balakrishnan said, adding that having countries discuss their concerns, ambitions and red lines was already “a very useful step”.

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