We're doing our best to get S'poreans in Middle East to safety under volatile circumstances: Vivian Balakrishnan

Singapore endorses the Asean Foreign Ministers' statement on the situation in the Middle East and the escalation of conflict following the attacks initiated by Israel and the U.S. against the Islamic Republic of Iran on Feb. 28.

In a Facebook post on Mar. 4, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said, "I have been in close contact with my counterparts in the Gulf states to convey our solidarity."

He also said that he "expressed Singapore’s deep appreciation to the Gulf states for their efforts to ensure the safety of Singaporeans".

Vivian emphasised that the welfare of Singaporeans remains a priority, and that Overseas Missions are focused on providing consular assistance.

"We are doing our best to get Singaporeans to safety under these volatile circumstances."

'Deeply concerning'

Vivian called the outbreak of conflict "deeply concerning" and noted that "the escalatory attacks on non-combatant states, including those targeted at civilian and energy infrastructure, are unacceptable".

The joint statement by Asean's foreign ministers said that the situation and subsequent retaliatory attacks by Iran against Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Syria and the United Arab Emirates are being followed closely.

The statement called for all countries to respect international law, including the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter).

The statement highlighted the call for self-restraint of all parties involved and for "an immediate cessation of hostilities", urging differences to be resolved through "diplomacy and dialogue in the interest of maintaining peace in the region".

The "shared commitment to provide emergency assistance to Asean nationals" was also re-emphasised in the statement in accordance with the Asean guidelines on consular assistance by member states' missions in third countries to nationals of other Asean member states.

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Top photo from AFP and MDDI/YouTube