PRESS RELEASE

Official Visit to the Republic of by Speaker of Parliament Madam Halimah Yacob, 8 to 11 June 2017

The Speaker of Parliament, Madam Halimah Yacob, who is currently on an official visit to Kazakhstan, called on Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev, and met with Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chairman of the of the Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin, and First Deputy Chairman of Party Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed. During her meetings, Madam Halimah reaffirmed the warm and friendly ties between Singapore and Kazakhstan and discussed ways to expand Singapore- Kazakhstan bilateral cooperation. Madam Halimah expressed Singapore’s appreciation for Kazakhstan’s support for the Singapore-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement. During her visit, Madam Halimah also visited the Khazret Sultan Mosque, and the Svyato-Uspensk Cathedral in Astana, amongst other local sites.

Madam Halimah also officiated at the Opening Ceremony of the Singapore Pavilion at the Astana EXPO-2017 on 10 June 2017. The Singapore Pavilion, themed “Small City, Big Ideas”, highlights Singapore’s efforts in creating an ecosystem which supports the development of effective solutions for a sustainable future. Styled as a terrarium, the Pavilion features various sustainable energy ideas and innovations by agencies, including the Economic Development Board (EDB), Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

The Astana EXPO-2017 was officially opened by President on 9 June 2017. Madam Halimah attended as Singapore’s official representative. The opening ceremony was also attended by several Heads of States and Heads of Governments, and representatives of the participating countries.

Speaking to the media after the opening ceremony, Madam Halimah said that “Singapore’s participation at the Astana EXPO-2017 is testament to the close bilateral ties that we share with Kazakhstan. It is another manifestation of Singapore’s support as a good friend of Kazakhstan. We are confident that Kazakhstan will host a very successful EXPO, which will boost Kazakhstan’s goal of being one of the top 30 economies by 2050. In recent years, there have been frequent high-level exchanges of visits between both our countries, as well as exchanges between our respective officials. Through Singapore’s participation in the EXPO, I hope that we can share Singapore’s experience in future energy and sustainable development. I also hope that our participation in EXPO-2017 will encourage Singapore businesses to take a closer look at the opportunities in Kazakhstan and the larger Central Asian region. Kazakhstan is at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, and Singapore is a gateway to ASEAN, a growing market which is set to become the fourth largest single market in the world by 2030. We can utilise our strengths as hubs in our respective regions and bring our two regions closer together.”

Madam Halimah was accompanied by Members of Parliament Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Dr Chia Shi-Lu and Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry. Madam Halimah and her delegation returns to Singapore today.

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Office of the Clerk of Parliament

11 June 2017

Meeting with the Chairman of the Senate of the Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Photo credits: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Meeting with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev (Photo credits: Prime Minister’s Office, Kazakhstan)

Meeting with the Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Nurlan Nigmatulin (Photo credits: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Opening of the Singapore Pavilion at the Astana EXPO 2017 (Photo credits: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Opening of the Singapore Pavilion at the Astana EXPO 2017 (Photo credits: Parliament of Singapore)

Visit to the Khazret Sultan Mosque, Astana (Photo credits: Parliament of Singapore)

Visit to the Svyato-Uspensk Cathedral, Astana (Photo credits: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)