MFA Press Statement: State Visit of His Excellency Sir Anand Satyanand, Governor-General of New Zealand, 15-18 May 2010

Sir Anand and his wife, Lady Susan Satyanand, called on President Nathan and Mrs Nathan after receiving a Ceremonial Welcome at the Istana this morning. During their meeting, both leaders reaffirmed the close bilateral ties between Singapore and New Zealand and underscored their commitment to step up cooperation in areas such as educational exchanges. They also exchanged views on recent developments in Southeast Asia. President and Mrs Nathan will host a State Banquet in honour of Sir Anand and Lady Susan this evening.

Earlier this evening, Sir Anand met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Sir Anand and Prime Minister Lee had a fruitful exchange of views on the long-standing ties between Singapore and New Zealand. They agreed that both sides would continue to work closely to strengthen cooperation. Their discussions covered a broad range of topics, including regional and international developments. Sir Anand was also hosted to lunch by Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security Professor S Jayakumar today.

In addition, Sir Anand visited the Singapore Polytechnic and the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre today. During the visit to the Singapore Polytechnic, Sir Anand gave a speech on "Singapore and New Zealand: Strengthening the Education Relationship", calling for greater educational linkages between both countries.