MFA Press Statement: Call on Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan by ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi, 17 Jan 2018

ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi met Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan this morning. Dato Lim is visiting Singapore at the invitation of Minister Balakrishnan to hold consultations with Singapore on its 2018 ASEAN Chairmanship initiatives. Dato Lim was accompanied by Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Political-Security Community V P Hirubalan and a delegation from the ASEAN Secretariat.

Minister Balakrishnan briefed Dato Lim on Singapore’s priorities as ASEAN Chair, including the strengthening of regional economic frameworks and advancing the development of Smart Cities in ASEAN, under the theme of Resilience and Innovation. Dato Lim reaffirmed the support of the ASEAN Secretariat in helping Singapore realise its Chairmanship priorities. They also discussed regional developments and the best way forward in ensuring a meaningful and productive Chairmanship year for Singapore.

As part of his consultations with Singapore, Dato Lim called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and met Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang as well as Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee. Senior officials of the ASEAN Secretariat, who are accompanying Dato Lim, also participated in separate breakout sessions with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Dato Lim will depart Singapore tomorrow morning.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

17 JANUARY 2018