Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton, 1 Jun 2013 [Photo: MFA]The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Baroness Catherine Ashton is on an official visit to Singapore from 31 May to 1 June 2013. Baroness Ashton is also attending the 12th International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue 2013), where she delivered an address at the Second Plenary Session on “Defending National Interests; Preventing Conflict”.
During the visit, Baroness Ashton separately called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam. The leaders welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-Singapore Partnership & Cooperation Agreement (ESPCA). This is an important agreement that will provide a strategic and political framework to further enhance Singapore-EU relations, and allow both sides to deepen engagement across a wide range of sectors. The leaders looked forward to the smooth approval and early ratification of the ESPCA and the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA). Baroness Ashton expressed the EU's desire to strengthen its cooperation with Singapore and with ASEAN. They also discussed recent developments in Asia and the Eurozone.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
1 JUNE 2013