Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Prof. Dr. Aurélio Guterres was hosted to lunch by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan earlier today. Minister Guterres is on his first official visit to Singapore.
Minister Balakrishnan and Minister Guterres reaffirmed the warm and longstanding friendship between our two countries, which dates back to before Timor-Leste’s independence. The Ministers discussed domestic developments in Timor-Leste and regional developments. They also exchanged views on Singapore’s priorities as ASEAN Chair in 2018, as well as the ongoing ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group (ACCWG) process which was assessing Timor-Leste’s application for ASEAN membership. Minister Balakrishnan also reiterated Singapore’s commitment to supporting Timor-Leste’s development through the provision of technical assistance under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).
Minister Guterres paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong this afternoon. Minister Guterres will depart Singapore tomorrow.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
29 JANUARY 2018
