President of the Republic of the Philippines Benigno S. Aquino III was hosted to lunch by President Tony Tan at the Istana on 18 November 2014. Prior to lunch, he received a call by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Both meetings reaffirmed the close ties between Singapore and the Philippines, and the leaders had good discussions on the latest developments in the Philippines. President Tan and President Aquino noted the strong economic ties between our countries, and affirmed the importance of education and training in developing our economies. President Aquino updated Prime Minister Lee on the post-Typhoon Haiyan reconstruction effort in the Philippines. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, as well as developments in the South China Sea.
President Aquino, who is on a visit to Singapore from 18 to 19 November 2014, will be delivering the keynote interview at the “The World in 2015 Gala Dinner” organised by The Economist this evening.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
18 NOVEMBER 2014