Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister to Visit New Zealand
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, will come to New Zealand as a guest of the New Zealand government
from 23 to 27 November, Acting Prime Minister Michael Cullen announced today.
“I am delighted that Mr Lee is able to visit. As an honorary advisor to the Asia 2000 Foundation, he has agreed to give
the keynote address to open the ‘Seriously Asia’ Forum. To have someone of his stature share his insights into
developments in Asia and New Zealand’s role in the region is a real bonus.
“Singapore, like New Zealand, recently released a new growth strategy for economic development following a major review
of its economy. Mr Lee took a leadership role in this exercise and his visit offers scope to explore possibilities for
collaboration between New Zealand and Singapore in the creative industries, ICT and biotechnology.
“The Prime Minister is in Singapore this week. The frequency of high-level contact between our two countries signals the
importance we place on our relations with Singapore, with whom we traditionally have very strong people-to-people,
defence and economic ties,” Dr Cullen said.