Minister K Shanmugam with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmet Davutoğlu (top left), Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda Winston Baldwin Spencer (top right), Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean (middle left), Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov (middle right), and Singaporeans. [Photo: MFA] Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam, who is in New York for the 67th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, met his counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, the Marshall Islands, Romania, Georgia and Turkey. Minister Shanmugam also hosted a reception for Singaporeans at the Singapore Consulate in New York.
Minister Shanmugam and Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the upcoming Forum of Small States (FOSS) Conference, in which both Ministers will be participating.
With Minister of Foreign Relations of the Dominican Republic Carlos Morales Troncoso, Minister Shanmugam discussed the growing linkages between Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean, as well as the potential for greater economic cooperation between these regions.
With Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister Shanmugam discussed the growing economic relations between Singapore and Azerbaijan, and ways in which bilateral cooperation could be strengthened.
With Panama Foreign Minister Romulo Roux, Minister Shanmugam discussed the efforts undertaken by Singapore and Panama in support of maritime trade and international shipping, as well as the potential for greater cooperation in this area.
Minister Shanmugam and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda Winston Baldwin Spencer discussed bilateral relations and affirmed their mutual desire to explore new areas of cooperation, such as tourism, information technology and human resource development.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Marshall Islands Philip Muller and Minister Shanmugam discussed the good cooperation between Singapore and the Marshall Islands in various international fora, including in the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
Minister Shanmugam reiterated to Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean that the Singapore Government continued to monitor very closely the trial in Bucharest of former Romanian Chargé d'Affaires in Singapore Silviu Ionescu. Minister Shanmugam reaffirmed that this was a matter of considerable importance to Singaporeans. Minister Corlatean assured Minister Shanmugam that the Romanian Foreign Ministry took this case very seriously and regretted deeply what had happened. Both Ministers agreed that it was in the interest of both countries that the cause of justice was served expeditiously on this case.
Minister Shanmugam and Georgian Minster of Foreign Affairs Grigol Vashadze discussed ways of enhancing bilateral relations, as well as regional developments.
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmet Davutoğlu and Minister Shanmugam affirmed the excellent and growing relations between Singapore and Turkey, and welcomed the recent opening of the Singapore Embassy in Ankara. The two Ministers also exchanged views on developments in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
27 SEPTEMBER 2012