Official Visit of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to France and Poland, 27 October 2013 to 1 November 2013

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make an Official Visit to France from 27 to 30 October 2013, and to Poland from 30 October to 1 November 2013. This will be Prime Minister Lee’s third official visit to France and first official visit to Poland. PM Lee will meet with various French and Polish leaders to discuss ways to strengthen Singapore’s bilateral cooperation with the two countries, and to seek their support for the early ratification of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA).

In France, Prime Minister Lee will meet President Francois Hollande, Prime Minister Ayrault, President of the Senate Jean-Pierre Bel and other French leaders. Prime Minister Lee will attend the France-Singapore Business Forum co-organised by Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF). He will also meet French businessmen and academics, as well as Singaporeans living in France.

In conjunction with Prime Minister Lee’s official visit to France, SBF and UbiFrance, the French trade commission in Singapore, will jointly organise a business seminar titled “Singapore and France: Linking Asia & Europe through Trade and Investment”. Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Lim Hng Kiang and French Minister for Foreign Trade Ms Nicole Bricq will deliver keynote speeches at the event.

In Poland, Prime Minister Lee will meet President Bronisław Komorowski, Prime Minister Tusk and the leaders of the lower and upper houses of the Polish parliament, Marshal Ewa Kopacz and Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, respectively. PM will also attend the Singapore-Poland Business Forum, co-organised by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the Polish Agency for Foreign Investment (PAIZ). Prime Minister Lee will also visit Gdánsk, a Polish city on the Baltic coast. In Gdánsk, Prime Minister Lee will meet Mayor Paweł Adamowicz and visit the Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) within the Port of Gdánsk.

Prime Minister Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee; Minister Lim Hng Kiang; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Ms Grace Fu; Members of Parliament Dr Chia Shi Lu and Mr Christopher De Souza. Prime Minister Lee will also be accompanied by a business delegation led by Chairman of SBF Mr Tony Chew.

During Prime Minister Lee’s absence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, will be the Acting Prime Minister for the period 27 October to 2 November 2013.

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
26 OCTOBER 2013