Comments by MFA Spokesman on the launch of the Singapore Caucus

In response to media queries on the launch of the Singapore Caucus, the MFA Spokesman said:

"On the occasion of the official launch of the Singapore Congressional Caucus, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prof S Jayakumar, had written to Congressmen Curt Weldon and Solomon Ortiz to convey Singapore's deep appreciation for their efforts in establishing this strong symbol of Congressional support for our bilateral relationship. He also requested that they convey our thanks to the many other Congressmen and Congresswomen who had joined them in forming the Caucus. We were heartened to see so many different Congressmen, from a diversity of districts, join together in common support of Singapore and the US-Singapore relationship. We believe that this underlines the depth that our friendship enjoys.

Minister Jayakumar noted that US-Singapore relations are strong and multi-faceted. As the US-Singapore relationship has widened beyond the traditional areas of diplomacy, defence and trade, so too have our interactions with Congress. The Singapore Congressional Caucus will now be at the forefront of our relations with Congress. We hope that Caucus Members will visit Singapore whenever their schedules allow, and look forward to working with the Caucus in nurturing our bilateral relationship."

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Quote from Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, Singapore Ambassador to the US:
"This Caucus emphasises the strong economic and defence cooperation shared by Singapore and the United States. For Singapore, this is timely - next year, our Free Trade Agreement will be considered by Congress."

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
10 OCTOBER 2002