Official Visit by PM Lee Hsien Loong to Australia, 11 to 13 October 2016

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make an official visit to Australia from 11 to 13 October 2016 at the invitation of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Prime Minister Lee’s visit marks the inaugural annual summit between the two Prime Ministers under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between Singapore and Australia. Prime Minister Lee’s last official visit to Australia was in October 2012.

An official welcome ceremony will be held for Prime Minister Lee at Parliament House. Prime Minister Lee will have separate meetings with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, Prime Minister Turnbull, Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten, and Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr. Prime Minister Lee will deliver an address to the Australian Parliament; the first such address by a Singapore Prime Minister. Prime Minister Turnbull will also host Prime Minister Lee to an official luncheon at the Great Hall of Parliament House.

The two Prime Ministers will witness the signing of several agreements arising from the CSP package of May 2016, specifically (i) the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Military Training and Training Area Development in Australia, (ii) the Agreement to Amend the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement, (iii) the MOU on Cooperation in Innovation and Science, and (iv) MOU on Combating Transnational Drug Crime and Developing Cooperation.

Prime Minister Lee will lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial, and meet with Singaporeans at a reception at the Singapore High Commission in Canberra.

Prime Minister Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, and Members of Parliament Dr Lily Neo and Mr Zaqy Mohamad.

During Prime Minister Lee’s absence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security will be the Acting Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
SINGAPORE
10 OCTOBER 2016