12 May 2017
Senior Minister of State (SMS), Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman made his introductory visit to the Republic of Lebanon from 9 to 11 May 2017. The three-day visit was the first by a Singapore political office-holder to Lebanon since Minister for Foreign Affairs S Rajaratnam’s maiden trip in 1974.
SMS Maliki conveyed President Tony Tan Keng Yam’s invitation to President of the Republic of Lebanon Michel Aoun to make a State Visit to Singapore. Along with his call on President Aoun, SMS Maliki also met with Lebanon’s senior political leadership including Speaker of the National Assembly Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Gebran Bassil, Minister of Defence Yaacoub Sarraf, Minister of Social Affairs Pierre Bou Assi and Minister of State for Combatting Corruption Nicolas Tueny. During the meetings, SMS Maliki affirmed the friendly relations between Singapore and Lebanon. He also expressed Singapore’s readiness to share with Lebanon its developmental experience including technical assistance through the Singapore Cooperation Programme.
SMS Maliki delivered a public lecture and engaged the faculty and students at the American University of Beirut’s Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs on “The Singapore Experience: Harmony in Diversity and Development without Natural Resources”. He also attended a dialogue session with the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and spoke on Singapore’s economic developmental model and bilateral economic relations. He met with Minister of Economy and Trade Raed Khoury on the sidelines of the dialogue session, and explored ways for Singapore and Lebanon to deepen economic collaboration.
SMS Maliki will depart Lebanon for Singapore later today.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
12 MAY 2017