Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 5 to 7 December 2023, at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Mauro Vieira, to attend the 63rd Summit of Heads of State of MERCOSUR and Associate States as a special guest.
This will be Singapore’s inaugural participation at the MERCOSUR Summit, which brings together the leaders of its members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as representatives from MERCOSUR’s Associate States and other invited guests.
Minister Balakrishnan’s visit builds on the growing partnership between Singapore and MERCOSUR, a key trade bloc in Latin America with a combined population of 272 million people and a GDP of US$2.7 trillion. Singapore and MERCOSUR share many synergies in promoting a common space that generates business and investment opportunities through deeper economic integration. Singapore and MERCOSUR substantively concluded negotiations on the MERCOSUR-Singapore Free Trade Agreement in July 2022.
Minister Balakrishnan will be accompanied by Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Alvin Tan, as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
5 DECEMBER 2023