MFA Press Statement: Participation by PM Lee Hsien Loong in the 16th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Visit to Peru, Brazil and Chile, 21 - 27 November 2008

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the 16th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) in Lima, Peru, from 22-23 November 2008. While in Lima, Prime Minister Lee will have bilateral meetings with other APEC Leaders. He will be accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Prime Minister Lee will also make bilateral visits to Peru, Brazil and Chile in conjunction with the AELM. He is scheduled to meet President Alan Garcia in Lima, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia, and President Michelle Bachelet in Santiago. A business delegation will accompany PM Lee throughout his visit to Latin America.

The bilateral visits to Peru, Brazil and Chile underscore the importance we attach to Singapore's relations with these three Latin American countries. It also reflects our interest in deepening and broadening the scope of our interactions with Latin America to include areas like education and science and technology.

During Prime Minister Lee's absence, Deputy Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar will be the Acting Prime Minister from 20 to 28 November 2008 and Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng will be the Acting Prime Minister on 29 November 2008.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
20 NOVEMBER 2008