MFA Press Statement: State Visit by the Governor-General of Australia, General The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), 21 to 24 September 2015

                   The Governor-General of Australia, General The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) will make a State Visit to Singapore from 21 to 24 September 2015, at the invitation of President Tony Tan Keng Yam. Governor-General Cosgrove will be accompanied by his wife, Lady Lynne Cosgrove and officials from Australia’s Government House.

                   An official welcome ceremony will be held for Governor-General Cosgrove on 21 September, followed by a call on President Tan. President Tan and Mrs Mary Tan will host a State Banquet in honour of Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove. Governor-General Cosgrove will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong the following day. 

                   During the visit, Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove will visit Sembawang Air Base. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen will also host Governor-General Cosgrove to lunch. In addition, Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove will visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where an orchid hybrid will be named after them. During their visit to the Gardens, they will also view the flight of stairs built by Australian prisoners of war during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. 

                   Governor-General Cosgrove’s State Visit underscores the deep and longstanding ties between Singapore and Australia across many fields, including defence, trade and investment, and at the people-to-people level. The State Visit comes as Singapore and Australia celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries.  It follows the official visit of then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott in June 2015 when both Prime Ministers signed the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.   

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

 SINGAPORE

20 SEPTEMBER 2015