MFA Press Statement: Visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Koichiro Gemba, 11-12 October 2011

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Koichiro Gemba, who is visiting Singapore from 11 to 12 October 2011, called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong, and was hosted to lunch by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam today. This is Minister Gemba's first visit to Singapore in his current capacity.

Prime Minister Lee and Minister Gemba reaffirmed the strong bilateral ties and had a good discussion on regional developments. Minister Gemba thanked Prime Minister Lee for Singapore's support following the 11 March triple disasters and provided an update on Japan's recovery efforts. Prime Minister Lee highlighted the important role that Japan played in the region, and looked forward to Japan's continued contributions to deepen regional cooperation and ASEAN integration.

ESM Goh Chok Tong and Minister Gemba discussed the importance of the regional architecture in maintaining peace and security to ensure sustained economic growth for the region. ESM Goh expressed his support for Japan's participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), and looked forward to Japan's early decision on its participation in the TPP. ESM Goh also welcomed Japan's efforts to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other countries on nuclear safety issues.

Minister Shanmugam and Minister Gemba expressed their satisfaction with the excellent state of bilateral relations and had a wide-ranging discussion on international and regional developments. They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in regional and multilateral fora.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
12 OCTOBER 2011