Aung San Suu Kyi calls on President Halimah Yacob, PM Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi called on President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (Aug 21) morning, during her four-day working visit to Singapore.

Ms Suu Kyi, who is in Singapore from Aug 19 to 22, had a "broad ranging discussion" with Mr Lee - who also hosted her to lunch - on regional and global developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a press statement.

The discussions covered the economic challenges faced by both countries as well as the situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State, where a military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims has been taking place for several years. 

Mr Lee, who was briefed by Ms Suu Kyi on Myanmar's efforts in addressing the situation, encouraged the country to continue working with Bangladesh, the United Nations and the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to all affected communities, and expedite the repatriation of refugees in a safe, secure and dignified manner. 

He also expressed hope that Myanmar can bring about a long-term solution in the Rakhine State.

On climate change, Mr Lee highlighted the need for greater cooperation within ASEAN to manage and cope with the increased occurrences of natural disasters. He also conveyed his condolences over the loss of lives during the recent monsoon floods in Myanmar. 

Singapore and Myanmar are also negotiating a bilateral investment treaty to further strengthen economic cooperation and investment flows, the ministry said. 

During Ms Suu Kyi's meeting with Mdm Halimah, they reaffirmed warm bilateral ties and discussed the importance of vocational training and equipping youth with skills to take advantage of new markets and investment opportunities.

Mdm Halimah also expressed Singapore's continued support for Myanmar's human resource development through the Singapore Cooperation Programme, and the Singapore-Myanmar Vocational Training Institute in Yangon.