In this crucial year of Singapore's role as Asean chair and coordinator of Asean-EU relations for the next three years, three landmark agreements pave the way for even closer ties between the European Union and Singapore.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday signed the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. They witnessed also the signing of the EU-Singapore Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) and the EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).