Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to visit Pakistan on Oct 30

SINGAPORE: Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan will visit Pakistan on Friday (Oct 30), as the two countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.

During his visit to Islamabad, Dr Balakrishnan will meet Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who will also host him to lunch, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Thursday.

The two ministers will hold a joint press conference following their meeting.

“Minister Balakrishnan’s visit to Pakistan reaffirms the longstanding friendship between Singapore and Pakistan, which is underpinned by mutual respect and warm people-to-people ties,” said MFA in a press statement.

"The visit will provide an opportunity to deepen relations and explore new areas of cooperation, including disaster management, innovation and research, and education."

Dr Balakrishnan will also call on Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the country's chief of defence forces and army staff.

His itinerary includes a visit to the National Center of Artificial Intelligence at Pakistan’s National University of Sciences and Technology to understand its advancements in AI, MFA said.