Remarks by PM Lee Hsien Loong at the meeting with US President Joe Biden (March 2022)

Thank you, Mr President. Thank you especially for receiving me at this critical moment in world affairs and I am sure you are completely seized with what is happening in Europe right now. But we definitely appreciate the time that you are giving to the relationship with Singapore and to the Southeast Asian countries generally, especially ASEAN.

Singapore is a very good partner of the United States, where we are a Major Security Cooperation Partner of the US. And our relations are doing very well, economically as well as in security and defence realms. And they prosper and grow and venture into new areas continually. I hope to discuss that with the President today, as well as further the relationship between the US and ASEAN, which is an engagement which is important to the US, because it helps the US to be present in Asia Pacific and to deepen its relations with many friends and to strengthen its strategic interests in the region.

We will of course exchange views also on Ukraine and what that means for the Asia Pacific region, and Singapore hopes that the United States, amidst all its many preoccupations, will continue to deepen its relationships with countries in Asia Pacific, China certainly, but also other countries besides China. Deepen it, substantiate it in many different ways, through Indo-Pacific strategy, and in doing so, to foster the peace, stability and security of the region, as we have done for many decades since the war.

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