MFA Press Statement: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 24 Sep 2018

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, who is in New York for the 73^rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), attended the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit convened to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Mr Nelson Mandela.  Minister Balakrishnan delivered a statement on behalf of ASEAN reaffirming the ideals of peace and reconciliation championed by Mr Mandela.

Minister Balakrishnan also attended a high-level meeting chaired by US President Donald Trump on the “Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem”.  The event, which Singapore co-hosted with the US and over 30 other countries, was attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and 130 UN Member States.  The participants underscored their commitment to counter the world drug problem by reducing demand for illicit drugs through education, awareness and prevention of abuse; expanding treatment efforts to save lives and promote recovery; strengthening international cooperation across judicial, law enforcement and health sectors; and cutting off the supply of illicit drugs by stopping their production and flow across borders.

Minister Balakrishnan met his counterparts from MERCOSUR¹, including Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Faurie, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rodolfo Nin Novoa, and senior officials from the Paraguayan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.  They welcomed the upcoming inaugural round of negotiations on the Singapore-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement taking place in Montevideo, Uruguay from 3 to 5 October 2018, and reaffirmed their commitment to free trade and multilateralism. 

Minister Balakrishnan had separate meetings with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility Jose Valencia, during which they discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation.  He also met Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and exchanged views on regional and international developments. 

  Minister Balakrishnan attended a working lunch hosted by UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.  The participants, which included Myanmar and Bangladesh, discussed the situation in Rakhine State.  Minister Balakrishnan outlined ASEAN’s engagement of Myanmar in helping it respond to this crisis, and underscored ASEAN’s readiness to assist with humanitarian relief.  He added that a long term solution to this complex issue could only be found when all relevant stakeholders were committed to resolving the issue.  

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 

1          MERCOSUR is a South American trade grouping comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay as members, as well as seven other associate countries and two observers.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan attends the “Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem” event, which Singapore co-hosted with the US and over 30 other countries.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan delivers a statement on behalf of ASEAN at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan meets Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan engages his counterparts from MERCOSUR. [L to R: Paraguayan Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Juan Angel Delgadillo; Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rodolfo Nin Novoa, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Aloysio Nunes Ferreira; and Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Jorge Faurie.]

Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan attends a working lunch hosted by UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss the situation in Rakhine State.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan meets Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan meets Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility José Valencia.