Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make a working visit to Singapore from Sept 7 to 8.

He will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sept 8, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 30) night.

Mr Trudeau's office said separately that he will be meeting “a number of key private sector leaders” in Singapore as part of a week-long trip to the region.

He will be attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia from Sept 5 to 6 as well as the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India from Sept 9 to 10.

Mr Trudeau — who has been in office as Canada's prime minister since November 2015 — last visited Singapore in November 2018, when he was invited by Mr Lee to attend the 33rd Asean Summit and other related meetings as a guest of Singapore, which was then Asean's chair.

During that trip, he revealed a little-known fact that connects him to Singapore: He is a descendant of William Farquhar, the First British Resident and Commandant of Singapore.

In a statement posted on his website on Wednesday, Mr Trudeau, 51, said that Singapore is an important partner under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, and that he will seek to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly by promoting Canadian exports and positioning Canada as a destination of choice for investment opportunities.

He added that various crises and challenges — including climate change and increased inflation — are driving up the cost of living, destroying homes and displacing people, and creating uncertainty about the future.

“It is essential to work with our international partners, including in the Indo-Pacific and within Asean and the G20, to tackle these challenges and identify opportunities to create jobs and economic benefits, and improve quality of life for people around the world,” he said.

At the Asean Summit, Mr Trudeau said that he will be reinforcing Canada’s support for Asean and the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific to promote regional peace and stability, rules-based trade, food security, and economic growth that benefits everyone.

He will also take part in an Asean-Canada Summit, where the official launch of the Asean-Canada Strategic Partnership will take place.

Mr Trudeau will also meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by SUFIYAN SAMSURI

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