PM Lee Hsien Loong to visit Sydney for Asean-Australia meetings

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shake hands at the Istana on June 2, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS

SYDNEY - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make an official visit to Sydney from Thursday (March 15) to Sunday at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Lee will participate in the third Singapore-Australia Leaders' Summit, an annual bilateral meeting that began in 2015, and the Asean-Australia Special Summit.

Leaders attending the two events are expected to discuss issues of common interest, such as regional security, science and innovation and the progress of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership - a free trade pact involving Asean countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Mr Lee will attend separate meetings with the chief commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission Lucy Turnbull and New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian.

He will also meet overseas Singaporeans at a reception.

As Asean chair, Mr Lee will co-chair the Asean-Australia Special Summit with Mr Turnbull.

On the sidelines of the special summit, Mr Lee will deliver the opening speech at a Small and Medium Enterprise Conference while his wife Ho Ching, who is chief executive officer of Temasek Holdings, will give the opening address at a Women in Business breakfast.

Mr Lee will also witness the signing of the Asean-Australia memorandum of understanding on Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism.

This will take place during a counter-terrorism conference on the sidelines of the special summit, during which senior counter-terrorism officials from Australian and Asean member states will discuss enhancing regional connectivity and cooperation to combat terrorism and violent extremism.

Mr Lee will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran and Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, along with senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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