MFA Press Statement: Visit By Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong To Switzerland And Hungary, 7-10 October 2007

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make his first official visit to Hungary from 8 to 10 October 2007.

In Budapest, PM Lee will meet with, and will be hosted to lunch by, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány. He will also meet with President László Sólyom and the Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, Dr Katalin Szili. PM will deliver the opening remarks at a business forum organised by the Singapore Business Federation and meet with top Hungarian entrepreneurs and industrialists. He will also be conferred the degree of doctor honoris causa in natural sciences from the Eötvös Loránd University. PM will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry, Mr S Iswaran and senior officials.

Prior to his visit to Hungary, Prime Minister Lee will visit Lausanne, Switzerland, on 7 October 2007, where he will call on the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Count Jacques Rogge, to discuss the newly initiated Youth Olympic Games. The idea of a Youth Olympic Games was first mooted by Count Rogge when he assumed Presidency of the IOC in 2001. In Lausanne, PM will be accompanied by Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mr Teo Ser Luck and Singapore IOC member, Mr Ng Ser Miang.

Following his visit to Switzerland and Hungary, Mr Lee will be on private leave from 11 to 16 October 2007 in the US. In his absence, Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar will be the Acting Prime Minister.