Australian Foreign Minister here on three-day visit, calls on PM Lee
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Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana yesterday. They reaffirmed the excellent relations between both countries and exchanged views on a range of issues, MFA said.
PHOTO: MCI
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Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who is in Singapore on a three-day official visit, called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and was hosted to lunch by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.
PM Lee and Ms Payne reaffirmed the excellent relations between both countries and exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.
They discussed how both sides are tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and taking steps towards economic recovery.
PM Lee said in a Facebook post that this year marks the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between Singapore and Australia.
"Despite the Covid-19 disruptions, we have made significant progress in key areas of cooperation under the CSP," he wrote.
"Minister Payne and I had a good discussion on how we can do more together amid the pandemic."
Meanwhile, Dr Balakrishnan and Ms Payne noted the good progress on the wide-ranging cooperation under the CSP, as well as the good cooperation between both countries amid Covid-19, such as in vaccine development and supporting vaccine multilateralism.
"They also discussed how both countries could work together to reopen borders in a safe and gradual manner," MFA added.
Last week, Singapore announced the unilateral lifting of border restrictions on visitors from Australia - excluding Victoria state - and Vietnam, as of yesterday. It has also lifted border restrictions on visitors from Brunei and New Zealand.
Australia has kept its restrictions on visitors, but announced last week that from next Friday, New Zealanders will be able to visit New South Wales and the Northern Territory without undergoing quarantine.
In her role as Minister for Women, Ms Payne also met Minister of State for Social and Family Development as well as Education Sun Xueling. They had a good discussion on women's issues, MFA said.
Ms Sun shared the recent launch of conversations to identify and tackle issues affecting Singapore women, while Ms Payne said that the conversations are timely and she looked forward to the results.
They also discussed issues such as family violence and employment opportunities for women, and how Covid-19 has impacted them, MFA added.
