The Prime Minister of Singapore will fly to Australia next month for talks with Anthony Albanese, where the pair are expected to sign a new “Green Economy Agreement”.
Core items:
- It will be Lee Hsien Loong’s first meeting with Mr Albanese since the Australian won the election
- He will visit Sydney and Canberra for the annual Heads of State and Government Talks
- They are expected to sign an agreement to streamline climate-friendly finance
Lee Hsien Loong will travel to Sydney and Canberra for the annual leaders’ talks amid rising regional tensions between the US and China over Taiwan.
At their first face-to-face meeting since Anthony Albanese’s election victory, the prime ministers are expected to sign a new “Green Economy Agreement” to optimize climate-friendly financing and technology development.
The pending deal aims to facilitate future renewable energy and hydrogen deals between Australian and Singaporean companies.
Regarded as a senior ASEAN leader, Mr. Lee has consistently advocated for the West and China to find common ground rather than escalating tensions.
In Singapore last year, Mr Lee told former Prime Minister Scott Morrison that Australia should focus on areas of common interest with China, rather than ideological differences.
“You don’t have to become like them, nor can you hope that they will become like you,” Singapore’s prime minister said after their meeting.
The ABC understands Mr Lee’s October 16-18 visit will also include a visit to the Australian War Memorial as well as a meeting with New South Wales Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet.
Mr Albanese is currently hosting his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape and on Sunday evening both men watched the XIII. Australian Prime Minister’s men’s and women’s teams at Brisbane’s Lang Park defeated teams from PNG.
On Monday, both men will fly to Japan aboard an RAAF jet for the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe alongside former Australian Prime Ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.
The international engagements come a month before Mr Albanese is scheduled to fly overseas for three consecutive overseas meetings – the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, the G20 Leaders’ Meeting in Bali and APEC in Thailand.
Earlier this month, the ABC announced that French President Emmanuel Macron was planning his second visit to Australia, some time after he and Mr Albanese attended the G20 summit in Bali.
