Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms Grace Fu attended the closed-door Retreat Session on the second day of the 11th ASEM Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM 11) in Gurgaon, India on 12 November 2013. Minister Fu also had four bilateral meetings at the sidelines of the ASEM FMM 11, with Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Mr Paschal Donohoe, Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs, Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Børge Brende, and Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Miroslav Lajčak.
Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Mr Paschal Donohoe, Latvian Foreign Minister Mr Edgars Rinkēvičs and Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Miroslav Lajčak all reassured Minister Fu of their countries' strong support for the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA). They strongly supported Singapore's call for the EUSFTA's swift ratification and entry into force.
Minister Fu extended her warm congratulations to Minister Børge Brende on his recent appointment as the new Norwegian Foreign Minister. The two leaders reaffirmed the warm bilateral relations between Singapore and Norway, and noted the good cooperation that both countries enjoy at various multilateral platforms such as ASEAN and the Arctic Council. They also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as sustainable development, climate change and promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
Following the conclusion of the ASEM FMM 11, Minister Fu will meet with Indian Members of Parliament and media personalities in New Delhi on 12 and 13 November 2013.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
12 NOVEMBER 2013