MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew will visit New York and Washington DC from Wednesday to Oct 31, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

In New York, he will have meetings with the Council on Foreign Relations and business leaders.

In Washington DC, he will meet several Secretaries, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke, Director of the National Economic Council Lawrence Summers and other senior members of the Obama Administration. He will also meet President of the World Bank Robert Zoellick.

Mr Lee will deliver a speech and receive the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the US-Asean Business Council at the council's 25th anniversary gala dinner in Washington DC on Oct 27.