Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan visited Perth, Australia from 4 to 5 November 2017 to attend the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC). The APRC was organised by the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce for political and business leaders from Australia, Germany, and Asia-Pacific countries to explore opportunities to enhance trade and investment flows.
Minister Balakrishnan delivered a keynote address at the session entitled Policy Dialogue: Geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific Region – Opportunities, Challenges and Perspectives on 5 November 2017, where he discussed the need to promote free trade and closer economic integration even as we restructure our economy domestically.
Minister Balakrishnan also had bilateral meetings with his Australian counterparts on the sidelines of the conference, namely Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann, and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. The Ministers discussed regional developments and reaffirmed the strength of the Singapore-Australia bilateral relationship, which was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2015.
Minister Balakrishnan also met and congratulated the newly-appointed Timor-Leste Prime Minister Dr Mari Alkatiri. Minister Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore’s continued support for Timor-Leste’s development.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
5 NOVEMBER 2017