Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Statement - Working Visit of Her Excellency Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, 19 to 22 August 2018

   Her Excellency Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is in Singapore on a working visit. 

          Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called on President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong this morning.  She was also hosted to lunch by PM Lee.  President and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reaffirmed our warm bilateral ties.  They also discussed the importance of vocational training and equipping youth with skills to take advantage of new markets and investment opportunities.  President expressed Singapore’s continued support of Myanmar’s human resource development through the Singapore Cooperation Programme and the Singapore-Myanmar Vocational Training Institute in Yangon.  

                    PM Lee and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had a broad ranging discussion on regional and global developments including the economic challenges faced by both countries.  Singapore and Myanmar are negotiating a Bilateral Investment Treaty, which will further strengthen economic cooperation and investment flows.  PM Lee conveyed condolences over the loss of lives during the recent monsoon floods in Myanmar.  He highlighted the need for greater cooperation within ASEAN to manage and cope with the increased occurrences of natural disasters due to the effects of global climate change.  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also briefed PM Lee on developments in Myanmar, including its economic reforms and the government’s efforts in addressing the situation in the Rakhine State.  PM Lee encouraged Myanmar to continue working closely with Bangladesh, the UN and the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to all affected communities and expedite the repatriation of the refugees in a safe, secure and dignified manner.  He also expressed hope that Myanmar can bring about a long-term solution in the Rakhine State. 

          Earlier this afternoon, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivered the 43^rd Singapore Lecture organised by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, titled “Myanmar’s Democratic Transition: Challenges and Way Forward”.  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who moderated the Singapore Lecture, prior to the event.  They discussed developments in ASEAN and efforts to enhance regional economic cooperation. 

          On 20 August 2018, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was hosted to tea by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong at the Lee Kuan Yew School for Public Policy, where she also received a briefing and observed a class.  Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan also hosted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to dinner.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

21 AUGUST 2018