23 Mar 2012
MFA Press Statement: Visit of Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Community Development, Youth and Sports Mr Sam Tan to Rome, Italy 20 to 23 March 2012
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Community Development, Youth and Sports Mr Sam Tan met with his Italian counterpart, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ms Marta Dassù, on 22 March 2012 at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his working visit to Rome, Italy. They reaffirmed the positive and broad-based nature of the bilateral relationship, and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in various fields, ranging from political, business, investment, defence and aviation. They had a wide-ranging discussion on regional developments, and agreed on the need to maintain regular dialogue and political consultations between Singapore and Italy.
Mr Tan also called on Vice President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies Mr Franco Narducci. They agreed on the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. They also exchanged views on recent developments in Asia and the Eurozone.
Earlier on 22 March 2012, Mr Tan represented Singapore at the ASEAN Awareness Forum organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 22-23 March 2012. The aim of the forum was to raise awareness among Italian businesses and international financial institutions of economic opportunities in the Southeast Asian region, and to foster greater economic integration between Italy and ASEAN countries.
In a speech at the opening session of the forum, Mr Tan welcomed Italy’s efforts to deepen its economic linkages with Singapore and the ASEAN region. He highlighted the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity as a key initiative to help the region realise its goal of establishing an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, and invited Italian companies to explore business opportunities in the region in areas such as infrastructure, logistics and infocomm technology.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
23 MARCH 2012
SINGAPORE