Press Statements & Speeches

MFA Press Statement: 15th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Post-Ministerial Conferences, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, 9 August 2014

^{Minister Shanmugam with Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luvsanvandan Bold
[Photo Credit: MFA]}

^{Minister Shanmugam with Timor-Leste Foreign Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dr José Luis Guterres [Photo Credit: MFA]}

^{Minister Shanmugam with the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers at the 15th APT Foreign Ministers’ Meeting [Photo Credit: MFA]}

        Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam attended the 15^th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) with eight ASEAN Dialogue Partners in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on 9 August 2014, as part of the 47^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings. 

        The ASEAN Foreign Ministers met their counterparts from Canada, the People’s Republic of China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States of America to review relations and discuss ways to move cooperation ahead.  Minister Shanmugam co-chaired the ASEAN-Canada PMC with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, in Singapore’s capacity as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Canada dialogue relations.  Minister Shanmugam welcomed Canada’s initiatives to deepen its engagement with ASEAN, including Canada’s plans to establish a dedicated Mission to ASEAN and to expand its diplomatic footprint in the region.

        At the 15^th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the APT Foreign Ministers reviewed the APT’s broad-based cooperation in various areas including Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), finance, food security and tourism.  The Ministers emphasised the importance of implementing the APT cooperation work plan 2013-2017 and noted that the APT process was an important vehicle to promote greater functional cooperation in the East Asian region.  The Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues.

        Minister Shanmugam held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Timor-Leste and Mongolia.  Minister Shanmugam and Timor-Leste Foreign Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dr José Luis Guterres reaffirmed the excellent state of bilateral relations.  Minister Shanmugam also congratulated Timor-Leste on the successful hosting of the 10^th Summit of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) in Dili, Timor-Leste.  Minister Shanmugam and the Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luvsanvandan Bold reaffirmed the friendly relations between Singapore and Mongolia.  The Ministers discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation as well as Mongolia’s engagement of ASEAN.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

9 AUGUST 2014