UK Foreign Secretary Visits Singapore To Discuss Cooperation, Establish Investment Office

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2022) UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is paying a visit to Singapore on Thursday to discuss the bilateral partnership, strengthen trade and security ties in the Indo-Pacific region as well as establish an international investment office in the country.

"Foreign Secretary Rt Hon James Cleverly MP is in Singapore today (29 September), for the first time since taking up the role, to underscore the UK's partnership with Singapore, ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region," the statement read.

The foreign secretary will hold meetings with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to "reaffirm the UK's commitment to stronger bilateral ties with Singapore and discuss future cooperation on regional trade and security" as well as "outline the UK's ambition to elevate the UK-Singapore relationship" and sign a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the resilience building in the region.

"He will meet Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and launch the new British Investment International (BII) Office, which will be at the core of the UK's development finance institution's Indo-Pacific expansion, recognising Singapore's role as a global financial centre," the statement added.

The BII is set to invest in green infrastructure which would support the region's green economic transition and bring the United Kingdom closer to Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia and Laos, according to the statement.