MFA Press Statement: Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo at the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 24 September 2008

Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, who is in New York from 21 September to 1 October 2008 to attend the 63rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, had several bilateral meetings on 23 September 2008. He met his counterparts from Algeria, Angola, Chile, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He also met with UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman and United States Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab.

In addition, Minister Yeo attended a meeting, co-chaired by US President George W Bush and Iraq President Jalal Talabani, for countries contributing to the Multinational Force (MNF) in Iraq. The meeting was to enable the two leaders to personally thank coalition partners for their contributions to the MNF. Minister Yeo also attended a dinner hosted by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for Heads of Delegations.

Minister Yeo and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria Mourad Medeki discussed the latest developments in their respective regions and agreed to work towards stronger bilateral cooperation.

Minister Yeo and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Angola Dr Joao Bernardo de Miranda welcomed the continued strengthening of bilateral relations and looked forward to further cooperation in new areas. They also exchanged views on recent developments in Africa and Asia.

In Minister Yeo's meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile Alejandro Foxley, both Ministers discussed opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation, including in the area of education. They also talked about global trade and agreed that yesterday's announcement of the launch of negotiations for the US to join the comprehensive Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement had the potential for promoting further trade liberalisation across the Asia-Pacific region.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of Ecuador Maria Isabel Salvador briefed Minister Yeo on economic developments in Ecuador. Both sides agreed that there was scope for further economic cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Yeo and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia HRH Prince Saud Bin Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud welcomed the excellent relationship between the two countries and expressed the hope that the recently concluded GCC-Singapore FTA would be signed soon. They also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East.

Minister Yeo and Minister of Foreign Affairs of UAE HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan reviewed the expanding relations between the UAE and Singapore, as well as between the GCC and ASEAN. They also welcomed the conclusion of the GCC-Singapore FTA. In addition, they discussed the issue of climate change and agreed to work closely together in this area.

Minister Yeo and UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman took stock of the good collaboration between UNICEF and Singapore. They exchanged ideas for expanding cooperation between Singapore and UNICEF. Minister Yeo and USTR Susan Schwab had an extensive discussion on trade issues. They expressed the hope that all parties involved in the Doha Round negotiations would continue to work towards its successful conclusion in the near future.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
24 SEPTEMBER 2008