German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to make first official visit to Singapore from Oct 27 to 28

SINGAPORE: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make his first official visit to Singapore from Tuesday (Oct 27) to Wednesday, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday.

The official visit reflects the "warm, longstanding and multifaceted" partnership between Singapore and Germany, MFA said in a statement.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will host a welcome ceremony for the chancellor before the two leaders have a bilateral meeting. Mr Wong will also host a dinner in the chancellor’s honour. 

Mr Merz, who has served as the Chancellor of Germany since May 2025, will also call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and be hosted to lunch by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.  

Chancellor Merz will deliver the 49th Singapore Lecture, organised by the Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS). 

The lecture, titled “Germany and the Indo-Pacific: Partnership, Competitiveness, and Resilience in a Changing World”, will be chaired by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.

Singapore and Germany celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2025. Both countries launched a bilateral "Year of Innovation" this year, which built on an earlier strategic partnership.