MFA Press Statement: Visit of Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Community Development, Youth and Sports Mr Sam Tan to Rome, Italy 20 to 23 March 2012

SPS Sam Tan with Italian Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ms Marta Dassu
 

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Community
Development, Youth and Sports Mr Sam Tan met with his Italian
counterpart, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ms Marta
Dassù, on 22 March 2012 at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
during his working visit to Rome, Italy. They reaffirmed the positive
and broad-based nature of the bilateral relationship, and discussed ways
to deepen cooperation in various fields, ranging from political,
business, investment, defence and aviation. They had a wide-ranging
discussion on regional developments, and agreed on the need to maintain
regular dialogue and political consultations between Singapore and
Italy.

Mr Tan also called on Vice President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of
the Chamber of Deputies Mr Franco Narducci. They agreed on the
importance of strengthening economic cooperation and people-to-people
exchanges between the two countries. They also exchanged views on recent
developments in Asia and the Eurozone.

Earlier on 22 March 2012, Mr Tan represented Singapore at the ASEAN
Awareness Forum organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on
22-23 March 2012. The aim of the forum was to raise awareness among
Italian businesses and international financial institutions of economic
opportunities in the Southeast Asian region, and to foster greater
economic integration between Italy and ASEAN countries.

In a speech at the opening session of the forum, Mr Tan welcomed Italy’s
efforts to deepen its economic linkages with Singapore and the ASEAN
region. He highlighted the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity as a key
initiative to help the region realise its goal of establishing an ASEAN
Economic Community by 2015, and invited Italian companies to explore
business opportunities in the region in areas such as infrastructure,
logistics and infocomm technology.

. . . . .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
23 MARCH 2012
SINGAPORE