MFA Press Statement: High Level Study Visit Pacific Island States and Timor-Leste, 7 to 9 February 2017

    Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will host a High Level Study Visit for the Pacific Island States and Timor-Leste from 7 to 9 February 2017.  Participants comprise Ministers and senior officials from the 14 Pacific Island States^[1] and Timor-Leste, and the heads of key regional organisations in the Pacific, namely the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) and Pacific Community (SPC).^[2]  This is the second run of the Study Visit following the inaugural Singapore-Pacific Ministerial Study Visit held in 2012. 

    During the Study Visit, the participants will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.  Minister Balakrishnan, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan and Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli will also host meals for the participants.  The Study Visit will feature briefings on Singapore’s experience in areas such as port management, water management, economic development, vocational education, public administration and tourism promotion.  Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Transport Mrs Josephine Teo will accompany the participants on a visit to the Port Operations Control Centre - PSA Vista.  The UN Development Programme’s Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, which is based in Singapore, will also conduct a segment on effective public service reform to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.  In addition, Singapore and the Cook Islands will sign an Open Skies Agreement during the Study Visit.  

    Singapore enjoys warm and friendly relations with the Pacific Island States and Timor-Leste with whom we cooperate regularly in international fora such as the United Nations including at the Forum of Small States (FOSS) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as well as the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  The Study Visit will provide an opportunity for Singapore to share its development experience, and exchange views with the Ministers in areas of common interest including climate change and sustainable development.  Singapore has trained close to 5,000 officials from the Pacific Island States and Timor-Leste under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

6 FEBRUARY 2017

[1] Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Niue, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.  With the exception of Kiribati and Fiji, all the other Pacific Island States will be represented by Ministerial-level participants. The Foreign Ministers from Cook Islands, Nauru, Samoa and Tonga are also concurrently Heads of Government/Heads of State. 

[2] The SPC, PIF and PIDF are regional technical assistance groupings.