| Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make an official visit to the Commonwealth of Australia (Canberra and Sydney) from 13 to 17 June 2006 and New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington) from 17 to 21 June 2006. This will be PM's first official visit to Australia and New Zealand since assuming office in August 2004. |
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PM will be accompanied by the Minister for Trade & Industry, Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Information, Communications and the Arts), Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Member of Parliament and Mayor of Central Singapore Community Development Council, Mr Zainudin Nordin, Member of Parliament, Mr Seah Kian Peng and senior officials. In Australia, PM will meet Prime Minister John Howard, Leader of the Opposition, Mr Kim Beazley and key members of the Australian Cabinet. Prime Minister Howard will host an official lunch for PM in Canberra. In Sydney, Deputy Premier of New South Wales, Mr John Watkins, will host PM to lunch. PM will also deliver a keynote address at a dinner hosted by the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre and visit leading Australian research institutions. After Australia, PM will visit New Zealand where he will meet Prime Minister Helen Clark, Leader of the Opposition and National Party Leader, Dr Don Brash and key members of the New Zealand Cabinet. PM Clark will host an official lunch for PM and a dinner at her official residence involving Ministers and business leaders. PM will also attend a reception and dinner hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation, where he will meet New Zealand business leaders. During PM's absence, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng will be the Acting Prime Minister from 13 to 17 June 2006 and Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar will be the Acting Prime Minister from 18 to 21 June 2006. . . . . . MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SINGAPORE 12 JUNE 2006 |