PM Lee Hsien Loong and other G-20 Summit leaders pose with koala bear named Jinbelung

Iriana Joko Widodo, wife of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, holds a koala while on a G20 spouses visit to a koala sanctuary at the G20 leaders summit in Brisbane on Nov 15, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Iriana Joko Widodo, wife of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, holds a koala while on a G20 spouses visit to a koala sanctuary at the G20 leaders summit in Brisbane on Nov 15, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Ho Ching, wife of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, is pictured alongside a snake while on a G20 spouses visit to a koala sanctuary at the G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane on Nov 15, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Peng Liyuan, wife of China's President Xi Jinping, cuddles a koala at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, as part of the G20 Leaders Spouse programme in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, picture provided by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin each hold a koala before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott (right) look at a koala, held by keeper Michele Barnes, before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS 
South Korea's President Park Geun-hye holds a koala before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) helps Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff hold a koala before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper holds a koala before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pats a koala held by Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
US President Barack Obama laughs as Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) touches a koala he is holding before the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane in this Nov 15, 2014, handout photo by G20 Australia. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Chew Hui Min
Updated
Jan 21, 2016, 09:18 PM
Published
Nov 17, 2014, 05:33 PM

BRISBANE - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a cute and cuddly friend at a meeting of the world's most powerful economies on Monday.

Mr Lee posted a photo on Facebook of himself hugging koala bear Jinbelung late on Sunday night with the caption: "She's from the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation, which is active in protecting koalas. She is two years old, and her name means 'friend'. -LHL".

//

Jinbelung also snuggled up to US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Canadian leader Stephen Harper, in a bout of koala diplomacy by host country Australia.

With my new friend, Jimbelung the koala at the start of the second day of the #G20 Summit in Brisbane #G20Brisbane pic.twitter.com/sOkkmYrc0W

- Stephen Harper (@pmharper) November 16, 2014
//

After what the Kiwis did to Australia in the league final, there was some hesitation on the koala's part. pic.twitter.com/WHQreVPI4T

- John Key (@johnkeypm) November 16, 2014

The G-20 Summit is a forum for international economic co-operation attended by 19 countries, the European Union and guest countries such as Singapore.

chuimin@sph.com.sg

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