From top: Minister Shanmugam had bilateral meetings with Brunei Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Pehin Lim Jock Seng, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird at the sidelines of the meetings. (Photos: MFA)Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam attended the Post Ministerial Conferences in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 11 July 2012. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers met their counterparts from each of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners (namely, Australia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the United States) to review relations and ongoing cooperation. Singapore handed over the Country Coordinatorship of the ASEAN-Australia Dialogue to the Philippines and took up the Country Coordinatorship of the ASEAN-Canada Dialogue from Thailand. Minister Shanmugam also had bilateral meetings with Brunei Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Pehin Lim Jock Seng, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird at the sidelines of the meetings.
Pehin Lim and Minister Shanmugam reaffirmed the excellent and warm relations between Brunei and Singapore. Minister Shanmugam affirmed Singapore's support for Brunei's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2013 and expressed our confidence that ASEAN will achieve significant progress in realising its Community-Building goals under Brunei's Chairmanship.
Minister Pak and Minister Shanmugam exchanged views on bilateral relations and developments on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Shanmugam welcomed the DPRK’s engagement with ASEAN, and expressed hope that all parties would work sincerely and constructively, through dialogue and other peaceful measures, towards ensuring peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. Minister Shanmugam also urged the DPRK to address international concerns over non-proliferation.
Minister Baird and Minister Shanmugam welcomed Singapore’s assumption of the Country Coordinatorship of the ASEAN-Canada Dialogue and reaffirmed their countries’ commitment towards strengthening ASEAN-Canada relations. Both Ministers also had a substantive discussion on regional issues of mutual concern. Minister Shanmugam took the opportunity to welcome Canada’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations as a valuable partner in the development of a high quality trade agreement which would boost free trade and help spur economic growth in the Asia Pacific.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
11 JULY 2012