MFA Press Statement: Visit of Members of the European Parliament from the Friends of Singapore Group to Singapore, 11 to 14 Feb 2018

A delegation of 12 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from the Friends of Singapore (FOS) group, led by the Chair of the FOS Sorin Moisă, is visiting Singapore from 11 to 14 February 2018.  

The MEPs called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan this afternoon, and were hosted to dinner by Minister of State (MOS) in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sam Tan.  Both sides reaffirmed the excellent ties between Singapore and the European Union (EU) and looked forward to the expeditious ratification of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA).  Once ratified, the EUSFTA will bring benefits to both the EU and Singapore. 

  The MEPs also called on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Manpower and Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo in the morning.  Over the next two days, they will call on Speaker of the Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and be hosted to lunch by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry Ms Sim Ann.  In addition, they will visit PSA, NUS Block 71, URA Singapore City Gallery and NTUC. 

The FOS was officially launched on 31 March 2016.  The main objective of the informal grouping is to promote closer ties between Singapore and the EU, particularly inter-parliamentary ties. The FOS currently comprises about 40 MEPs from the major political groupings in the European Parliament and represents a wide range of EU Member States. 

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE 

12 FEBRUARY 2018

Call on Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from the Friends of Singapore (FOS) group, 12 February 2018. [Photo Credit: MFA]