MFA Press Statement: Visit Of Senior Minister Of State For Foreign Affairs Dr Balaji Sadasivan to New Zealand, Fiji and Australia, 15 to 19 September 2008

Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Balaji Sadasivan will visit New Zealand, Fiji and Australia from 15 to 19 September 2008. SMS Balaji is on a roadshow to these countries to promote the Global Indian Diaspora conference (or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) conference), from 10 to 11 October 2008 at Suntec City Convention Centre. SMS Balaji had visited Jakarta and Hong Kong last week. In both cities, he had met prominent members of the local business community, including about a hundred ethnic Indian businessmen in Hong Kong, who expressed keen interest to participate in the event.

PBD Singapore (www.pbdsingapore.com.sg) will be a business conference. It will focus on macro strategic business trends for India in the next generation, address global issues such as climate change and energy security and explore business collaborations in sectors such as infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, science and technology, finance and banking and youth and education. The conference is a platform for the Indian corporate diaspora in the Asia-Pacific region as well as those with interest in the Indian market to come together and explore new business oppotunities. The conference is organised by the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and co-organised by India's Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and Confederation of Indian Industry.

SMS Dr Balaji will be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
15 SEPTEMBER 2008