New Zealand PM to make official visit to S'pore from April 14 to 16

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Jean Iau

SINGAPORE - The Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon will be in Singapore on an official visit from April 14 to 16.

In his first trip to Singapore as Prime Minister since taking office in November 2023, Mr Luxon will receive an official welcome at the Istana on April 15 and have a new orchid hybrid named in his honour.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on April 14 that PM Luxon will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and meet his counterpart Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who will host him for lunch.

PM Luxon will also meet Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on his trip.

He will be travelling with New Zealand Minister for Climate Change and Minister for Revenue Simon Watts and other senior officials.

"Prime Minister Luxon's visit reaffirms the excellent and longstanding relations between Singapore and New Zealand, underpinned by the Enhanced Partnership established in 2019," said MFA.

The partnership, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, is meant to pave the way for the countries to intensify collaboration in trade and economics, defence and security, science, technology and innovation, climate change and sustainability and people-to-people links.

Under this partnership, education ministries of both sides, for example, have been exchanging information on their respective systems, from pre-school learning to higher education.

Singapore and New Zealand nationals have also been able to use automated immigration clearance facilities when travelling to each other's countries since Feb 12, 2019.

PM Luxon's visit to Singapore will be his second as Prime Minister after he visited Sydney in December 2023 to meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The last Prime Minister from New Zealand to visit Singapore was Jacinda Ardern in April 2022. Ms Ardern and PM Lee established the Singapore-New Zealand Enhanced Partnership in May 2019 on another trip.

Singapore and New Zealand celebrate their 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.