THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) Peter Shanel Agovaka has participated in the 3rd Singapore Pacific High-Level Visit last week.
Minister Agovaka joined other Pacific Islands Ministers along with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretary General Henry Puna during the discussions from Monday to Thursday.
The event was the first overseas engagement for Member of Parliament for Central Guadalcanal Constituency after being sworn in as the MFAET Minister earlier this month and it serves as a pivotal platform for enhancing bilateral ties with the greater Pacific region.
Upon arrival in Singapore, the visiting delegation from the Pacific were welcomed by the Foreign Minister of Singapore, Dr Vivian Balakrishan in an opening ceremony.
Over the three-day visit, Minister Agovaka was engaged in a series of high-level discussion with leaders and officials of Singapore, including the National Development Minister Desmond Lee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment, Baey Yam Keng and Senior Advisor and Special Envoy of the Minister for Transport, Yap Ong Heng.
Minister Agovaka and his counterparts from the Pacific were given the opportunity to discuss and exchange views on areas of mutual interest, including Climate Change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable development and other areas of interest.
They were also briefed on the Singapore experience in areas as port management, waste management, Green Plan Management and Singapore development planning.
“The 3rd Singapore Pacific High-Level visit was an excellent opportunity to reinforce our partnership with Singapore and address shared challenges,’’ Minister Agovaka said during a joint call on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the State House.
He also conveyed a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele on behalf of the Government and the People of Solomon Islands to Prime Minister Wong on his recent appointment as Prime Minister of Singapore and thanked him for the hospitality offered to his delegation as wells as the Pacific Islands delegation.
Prime Minister Wong expressed his gratitude and conveyed his message of greetings and congratulations to Prime Minister Manele and his Government and People of Solomon Islands.
He said Singapore looks forward for more cooperation with Solomon Islands to address areas of interest.
The visit concluded with several initiatives aimed at fostering greater economic integration and addressing environmental challenges and training opportunities.
The 3rd Singapore Pacific High-level visit continues to foster deeper cooperation and a unified approach to regional issues.
This visit has set the stage for continued collaboration on pressing issues affecting the Pacific region and to enhance bilateral relations with Singapore.
(MFAET/SOLSTAR)
