MFA Press Statement: Visit of Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Manpower Sam Tan, to Norway from 24 to 28 January 2016

       Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Manpower Sam Tan was in Tromsø, Norway for the 10th Arctic Frontiers Conference (AFC) from 24 to 25 January 2016.  The AFC was attended by 1,700 participants from 30 countries.

      MOS Tan had bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference with Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende and Finnish State Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office Paula Lehtomäki.  At both meetings, the Ministers reaffirmed the good bilateral ties and looked forward to expanding cooperation on Arctic issues.  MOS Tan met with US Special Representative for the Arctic Admiral Robert Papp.  They discussed ways in which Singapore could continue to support the US chairmanship of the Arctic Council.  MOS Tan also renewed ties with Norwegian Senior Arctic Official Else-Berit Eikeland, and they discussed Arctic cooperation between Singapore and Norway.

      MOS Tan was hosted to dinner by University of Tromso (UiT) Rector Anne Husebekk on 24 January 2016, with senior representatives from various faculties in UiT as well as the Norwegian Polar Institute.  They discussed possible academic and research collaborations between Singapore and Norway.

       MOS Tan departs for Svalbard today. In Svalbard, he will meet Governor Kjerstin Askholt and visit the University Centre in Svalbard, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the Svalbard Satellite Station. 

.           .           .           .           .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

26 JANUARY 2016