Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam is visiting Sendai, Japan to attend the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (3UNWCDRR). He attended the Opening Ceremony of the 3UNWCDRR this morning.
Minister Shanmugam met Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida today. Minister Kishida expressed Japan’s appreciation for Singapore’s reconstruction efforts in the Tohoku region following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Both Ministers reaffirmed the close relations between the two countries, and agreed that the 50th anniversary of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations in 2016 is an important occasion to be marked with celebratory events and concrete deliverables. They also discussed developments in Japan and the wider region in view of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII this year.
Minister Shanmugam also met Special Envoy of the President and Minister of Environment and Energy of the Republic of Maldives Thoriq Ibrahim. They discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Minister Shanmugam welcomed greater participation by officials from the Republic of Maldives in our Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).
On 13 March, Minister Shanmugam met Democratic Party of Japan President Katsuya Okada in Tokyo. They had a good discussion on the key domestic developments in Japan.
Minister Shanmugam will deliver Singapore’s statement at the 3UNWCDRR Plenary Session tomorrow.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
14 MARCH 2015