Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong hosted a lunch meeting with Japanese PM Kishida Fumio at the Istana, discussing ways to deepen cooperation in digitalisation, energy, and sustainability, and the upcoming ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit.
On May 5, 2023, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted a lunch meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the Istana, the official residence of the Singaporean Prime Minister. PM Kishida was in transit through Changi airport on his way back to Japan from a visit to Africa. The two leaders had last met in November 2022 at the G20 and ASEAN meetings.
PM Lee expressed his delight in meeting PM Kishida again and highlighted the strong economic and people-to-people links between Singapore and Japan. Singapore has long-standing ties with Japan, with the two countries sharing close cooperation in various areas, such as trade, investment, education, and cultural exchange. In addition, Singapore and Japan are also cooperating on issues such as digitalisation, energy, and sustainability.
During their lunch meeting, the leaders discussed further deepening cooperation in these areas of mutual interest. They also exchanged views on key regional and international developments, including the evolving geopolitical landscape in the Asia-Pacific region and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan will be hosting a Commemorative Summit in December to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations. PM Lee expressed his anticipation in seeing PM Kishida again during the summit, and reaffirmed the importance of the ASEAN-Japan partnership in promoting regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
Sourced from Singapore MFA and Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook Post
